Mirrors: Shards of Existence
by glAssbOy
Summary: A response to Joshua Andrew Talon's "Mirrors". Immortality had never been so damnable and Urashima Keitaro is going to find out the hard way. For he should have died when he lived. Self-insert and Anime cameos.
1. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic. **

**Author's Notes:**

Hello there readers. I'm a new member here in the community and this is my first time writing here. It's been quite some time, three years really, since I wrote fanfiction. I had to stop since I put my college education as top priority, but now that I'm out, here I am writing again.

Since I'm doing a dive here, I had a hard time conceptualizing a plot. It was a good thing the I found Andrew Joshua Talon's fanfic titled "Mirrors" and what's better is that he gave his permission for it to be used as a basis for future titles for other writers.

Alright, now for some disclaimers and things for readers to expect. First, I'm not a native English speaker, so if you find that my use of words maybe out of context, just inform me. Second, I know a good number of people are pissed off whenever there are a lot of Romanized Japanese words in an Anime/Manga fanfic. So to lay down my plans, here goes: I'll be using the honorifics, this is very important since it tells something about the closeness of certain characters in a story. Also, expect some Japanese terms when it comes to food, please don't make me suffer by describing to you a blow by blow account of what a certain dish looks like. So, aside from those two, I'll try to stick to English, though I might still use some other languages, but I will make it relevant to the story.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

Now on with the story!

**Chapter 1 : The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit**

Urashima Keitaro fumbled for his wallet.

An irritated sigh came from the bartender as she put her arms in akimbo, "Policy of the bar is that you pay first before you get your drink."

Keitaro gave her an apologetic smile. He was about to say sorry to her when another voice, to his left and one barstool away, interrupted.

"Give him another, Maiko-chan. Put in on my tab."

Both of them looked to man who made the request, which made Maiko raise an eyebrow, "Well, well, since when did you become a Good Samaritan, Jimmy?", she asked with slight disbelief as she turned her back on Keitaro to get another bottle of beer.

"Got something to say?"

"Um, yeah..." the manager of Hinata Inn remembered his manners, "Thanks for the beer. Jimmy, right?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"U-Uras---"

"I never really gave you my real full name, did I?" Jimmy swiftly cut in, "I suggest you do the same. I'm still a stranger after all." His tone, while not unfriendly, came out in a rude manner.

Keitaro was perplexed, as his attempt at formalities was rebuked. _"Strange, he can speak Japanese just fine but there is something odd with this guy. Well he certainly doesn't look Japanese because of his brown skin. But still, why does he..." _His train of thought was stopped when he heard the sound of bottle being opened, he turned to the counter and saw his beer. He grabbed while muttering thanks to the bartender, and sardonically quipped, "So what happened to the 'pay first, get your drink later'?"

"Regular patron", the bartender pointed to Jimmy with her thumb.

Some sort of panic crept up to Keitaro and unceremoniously hit him.

"_I'm a man, a young man more importantly, in a bar. My wallet didn't have enough money and here comes another guy who just offered to pay it for me. Wait a minute. Maybe he's..." _He swallowed hard as he turned to look at the man who treated him to a drink.

Nondescript. It was spelled all over him. Despite the tanned skin he had, there was nothing really striking about him. His age seemed to be around in the late twenties or early thirties; however, his angular face along with its jagged fine lines made him look older. It did not help that he also wore a five o'clock shadow and square glasses. Other than that, there was little else to describe. He did seem a little short though, since his barstool was adjusted, his height might just be around five feet and six inches.

But it was the clothes that caught his attention, in an ironic way. It was boring to look at, as if it was telling people to pay no attention to the wearer at all. Keitaro then remembered the title of an American film, "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit". An accurate description, since Jimmy did wear a gray dress suit with a conservative red tie sliced with thin golden vertical stripes and brown leather shoes.

"It's impolite to stare."

"What?" The young manager immediately snapped back to reality.

"I said, it's impolite to stare."

"_Oh crap! Was I staring? This is bad! He might think that I'm checking him out. Wait. Calm down Keitaro, you just have to explain that you---"_

"I don't swing that way."

"H-huh? What did you say say?"

Jimmy sighed, "Hey Maiko-chan, get me another beer and a pack of Lucky Strike," and turning to Keitaro, "I said, I don't swing that way, if that's what you're thinking."

Keitaro was about to answer but Jimmy cut him off once again, "Look, I'm sorry if I sent the wrong signals. I should have thought about it really, buying a drink for a stranger usually means interest." He hissed a slight stress on the last word.

"No I should be the one who's supposed to be sorry." Keitaro said as he took a swig on his beer, "I mean, jumping into conclusions, just like that." He sounded off with a sad chuckle.

"Can't blame you for that. Nowadays if man shows 'compassion' to another man, people take it differently."

"Compassion?" Keitaro's face showed a little confusion.

"Yeah, you heard me loud and clear. Hell, it doesn't take a damn genius to see that you're so depressed; you're first bottle almost took you forever to finish. Felt sorry for you back there. Then you almost turned your wallet upside down, and I thought, hey, why not do a little act of kindness? So that's it, I took that beer of yours in my tab."

A half-hearted smile etched its way on the troubled manager's face.

"Hey kid, you okay?"

"Y-yeah...actually no."

"So you got something I can call you?"

"Oh, right, my name is Ura--"

"Like I said before, don't give me your full name. Your real name for that matter."

"But why?" Asked the increasingly puzzled Keitaro.

"Names hold great power kid. That's all I'm gonna tell you."

A moment of silence settled on the two men, their eyes locked in a mild staring contest. Keitaro was the first to flinch. He raised his hands in defeat, "Fine, you can just call me...Taro, yeah, that's right call me Taro."

"Nice to meet you then Taro. So feeling like having a little talk?"

Keitaro chuckled at first, then it became more like a muffled sob, but somehow, somewhere, something snapped. And he was laughing hysterically. "I'm sorry," He managed to get those word of apology between laughs, "Sorry, its just that there's no way in hell you would believe me."

"Well, try me. And while you're at it, take a look around."

Keitaro remembered the way he laughed. To his surprise, no one really gave a damn that he laughed hysterically a while ago. All the other patrons just nursed their drinks or talked to their fellow companions. Even Maiko, the bartender, did not even ask him to shut up.

"Yeah that's right, it's as if nothing happened." Without any warning, Jimmy hurled his half-empty beer bottle to another customer.

"Hey what the FUCK!", snarled a patron. Keitaro almost wet his pants. The guy who got hit looked menacing. No, menacing was an understatement; he looked like someone who worked for the Yakuza. And messing with those people could mean dismemberment, slow and painful dismemberment.

"Problems?" Maiko shouted from the counter.

"Some idiot threw his bottle at me. Got fucking wet too."

"Strange, didn't see anyone do that. Just wait a sec and I'll clean that up." Maiko picked a rag and promptly went to where the man was seated.

"You see the fucker who threw this to me?", the Yakuza look-a-like snarled, "I'll fucking kill him and use his skull as a fucking CONDOM!"

"Hey, hey," Maiko admonished him, "Behave yourself."

The other customers began to murmur to each other concerning what they saw. Apparently a bottle of beer just materialized out of the thin air and hit the unlucky guy. All of them were confused. If somebody really did throw something they would have seen it, the bar really was not that big. And if someone were to throw something they would have heard him standing up to get some momentum.

Urashima Keitaro had seen a lot of strange things in his life: girls who can launch him into low orbit with either punches or sword slashes, flying turtles, flying and terrifying mechanized war turtles, and just three weeks ago six copies of himself each containing a dominant side of his personality.

But those things mentioned had some sort of explanation. And he needed one. Fast.

Slowly turning his head to the man beside him, he nearly croaked, "How the hell did you do that?"

Jimmy calmly opened his cigarette pack, took one and lighted it with a Zippo. A grim and a "conspiracy theory" smile cracked his weathered face...

"Magic."


	2. A Hard Day's Night

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Author's Notes:**

Hey there again! Looks like I didn't get much reviews since I forgot to ask for it the last time. Hehe, anyway, here is the second chapter. Hope my readers will give me a word or two. After all, if you don't point out what's wrong or what you don't seem to like, then I can't improve this story.

Some pointers though, this fanfic is centered on Keitaro. That's why you won't see much of the girls or the others for the others. And yes, Jimmy is an OC (Original Character) and in a way, a little bit of self-insertion. I planned to develop him a bit further in future chapters, but decided against it, since that would be so immature. So on with the story!

**Now for the story indicators:**

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

Now on with the story!

**Chapter 2 : A Hard Day's Night**

Keitaro furrowed his eyebrows.

"Magic?"

"You saw what happened earlier right?"

"Well, yeah. Still have a hard time believing it, it's so unreal. Like a dream," said Keitaro as he finished his beer, "Maybe I'm just drunk."

"No you're not. I'll show you another magic trick, but first, you want another another one?"

"Sure. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. Hey, Maiko-chan two more beers please and," turning to his drinking partner, "You smoke?"

Keitaro nodded and requested, "Can you make it a Mild Seven?"

Jimmy acknowledged the request, "And a Mild Seven Maiko-chan."

"Spending quite a lot today, are you?" the bartender said as she gave him an amused smile, "I'd sure like to be your girl Jimmy."

"Oh you deserve better." He said as he took his order, turning his attention to Keitaro, "Here you go Taro, a Mild Seven and another beer."

"Thanks," he opened his pack, took one cigarette and lighted it, "So what about the magic business?"

"Curious now are we?"

"Well, you got my attention when you threw that bottle."

"Alright then, here goes..." Jimmy breathed deep, then he extended his arm towards Keitaro's right ear and pulled a 100 yen coin. He gave the bemused landlord a large smile as he showed the coin.

"Kids can also do that trick too you know."

"Unimpressed are we? Well, why don't you try to do the same?"

A soft chuckle came to Keitaro, "You know that's just a sleight-of-hand trick right? I mean, you hide a coin in your hand so well, that it looks invisible."

Jimmy just smiled, "Just try it. Your own hand on your own ear."

" This is really stupid," Keitaro told himself as he place his left hand unto his left ear, "What the?" he felt something materialize in the said hand as he lowered it for the two of them to see, "A one thousand yen bill?"

"Hey what do you know, you're better than me at this," Jimmy laughed as he took another drag from his cigarette.

Stupefied. The only word that can describe Hinata Inn's landlord at that moment. With a voice trapped between believing and not believing, "Show me more..." he muttered.

"More? Fuck's sake, what would it take you for you to---" Jimmy's reprimand was cut off at the sight of his drinking buddy. Tears welled up in young man's eyes. It wasn't tears of sadness or despair, the ones he was expecting, but rather the tears of a child who just saw something so wonderful that he ached to have more. The magician can only sigh, "Alright, alright, another one. But this is the last one, you hear me? This is becoming an obscene display of power," he took another drag and crushed his cigarette into the ashtray. Jimmy closed his eyes and breathed deep, "Alright, but listen up Taro," he lit another stick, "You listen to me good and do what I say. Think you can do that?"

With childlike eagerness Keitaro nodded.

"Close your eyes and keep them close until I tell you to open them. Then take a deep breath, like I did just back and tell me what you smell."

A little bit of doubt began to appear in the young man's eyes, but he shook it off and did what he was told.

"What do you smell here Taro?"

"Different kind of drinks. Your brand is different from mine, I can smell it, taste it even," his still close but his nose still sniffing, "Not everyone is drinking beer. Some have sake...whiskey...rum...gin and tonic." Keitaro's breathing was getting harder and harder as he smelled the different scents. "There's absinthe? I think it is absinthe, though I never drank absinthe before. I also think someone is underage here, because I think I'm smelling cola." A sour and vile taste found its way to the young man's tongue, "I smell puke too, disgusting. Used condoms and despoiled underwear, I can smell their breath---"

"Enough. Open your eyes." Jimmy's commanding voice snapped.

As Keitaro came back to reality, the different smells seemed to vanish in an instant, though somehow, the more pleasant smells lingered for a little while. He then asked, "So I smelled them anything else?"

"I was just starting."

A single bead of sweat made Keitaro shiver.

"Don't worry," assured Jimmy, "I'll only tell you one of my stories," a small and wistful sigh came out of his lips as he extinguished his cigarette, then he began...

*****

"When I was still a kid, my mother used to send me to the city's Chinatown. Obvious reason was, that the goods there was cheap and it was nearer to our house. Saves us gas money, since we don't have to use the car, unlike when we go to a supermarket. Whenever I go there, I usually pass by a small food stall owned by a girl named Mei Li."

"She was around five years older than me and was years ahead when it came to maturity. I guess you grow up too fast when you start working young. But despite that Mei was a kind soul, she never let the stress get to her and despite the difficulty of her job she always a wore a smile of kindness. Once in a while she gave me discounts on her menu and sometimes I got the food for free; lemon chicken, red bean soup, meat buns, and my favorite, Mapo Tofu. Until now I could still taste them, there are times when I wake up in the night and raid my fridge, hoping against hope that I'll find something there. But as alwayes, there is none."

"Now, whenever the food I eat tastes pathetic, I think of Mei and her cooking, then suddenly everything becomes delicious."

*****

Jimmy paused for a while to drink his beer, noticing Keitaro's eyes which grew and grew with eagerness, he continued...

*****

"So in short Mei and I were friends, and when I say friends, I really mean friends. There was nothing romantic about the two of us. I was too young and she was too occupied with her business. But once in a while, when she doesn't have any work to do, we'd take a walk around Chinatown. No matter how ordinary it seemed, it was always brighter when I was with her. We even spent some time watching the Lion Dance during the Lunar New Year. And despite her maturity, Mei still held childlike qualities. I remember the time when she lighted a belt of firecrackers and threw it to the crowd."

"We ran like hell back then. I didn't pay attention to my tired feet or my nearly collapsing lungs, because I was so happy to be with her."

*****

A long tired sigh came out of the storyteller, "Now, Taro. Close your eyes again and breathe deep, then tell me what you smell."

Keitaro gave him a brief nod, closed his eyes and breathed. He was surprised to smell not alcohol or the ragged breaths of the patrons but instead he smelled food. Different kinds of food, whether they were roasted, fried, boiled, grilled he smelled them. Fish, pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, he smelled them all; if one could drown by just smelling, then he was already drowning.

But something else happened...

His tongue was on fire, as if he just are something spicy, and he needed water. "What's this? I-I-I can taste something? It's spicy and made of beef and tofu!" a sense of realization hits him as he hears a girl shout at him.

"_Jimmy! Don't just waste the food eat it! Now!"_

_"But I'm not Jimmy,"_ he answered, _"I'm Keitaro! Urashima Keitaro!"_

"_That's better Jimmy, don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. Just eat more of my Mapo Tofu, okay!"_

Despite his closed eyes, Keitaro swore that he could see a blinding flash of light. He felt his eyes open against his will and was amazed. No longer did he just smell and taste the Mapo Tofu, in front of him, he could see a Chinese girl of about twenty years of age, dressed in a shirt and long skirt, her short hair covered by a white cloth. Her eyes though small, laughed with happiness.

"_C'mon Jimmy, we'll miss the Lion Dance if you just sit there and stare at me."_

Now he heard the music, the laughter, the shouts, and the exploding firecrackers.

"_Jimmy run! Unless you want to be beaten up!"_

He felt her hand grab his. He felt his legs run so fast. He felt his lungs on the verge of collapse.

Keitaro's heart throbbed a painful throb.

"_I'm so happy we could spend the New Year together Jimmy. I just wish...it could always be like this."_

The beating of his heart went faster. It was the beating of someone in love.

Her image began to blur, the once colorful background slowly darkened. Keitaro felt the passage of time change from seconds to hours and from days to weeks. And for an unexplainable reason, he felt a certain tinge of loneliness similar to his own. It was then replaced by jealousy, envy, and finally hatred when the image of the girl, now dressed in a traditional red bridal gown walked side by side with another man. Then there was hope, hope that one day she will leave that man and come to him. But when the girl appeared once more, carrying a fragile babe in her arms, that hope was shattered.

Loneliness became familiar once more, but it wasn't as lonely as the first time. There was a certain strain of maturity in that sad feeling, but over time it grew to acceptance.

Slowly buy surely the emotions began to fade. And Urashima Keitaro, was left with nothing but a gaping emptiness. He felt himself slowly float in that empty void. There were no other emotions present, just peace, a very uneasy feeling of peace. But that was quickly shattered.

"I only told you to close your fucking eyes not sleep."

When the young landlord slowly and painfully opened his eyes, he found himself in tears.

"So tell me, what did you smell?"

Slowly wiping his face, he replied, "You lied, you told you had no feelings for that girl. But I felt all the things you felt at that time. I didn't just smell or taste, I felt it all. For a moment I thought I was you."

Jimmy snickered, "I guess you really need my help Taro."

"What made you say that?"

"Explanations will get us nowhere. Suffice to say that the fact you saw my memories tells me that you are experiencing a great difficulty. And I'd liked to help."

"And in return? What do you want? The bartender was so surprised when you added my bill to yours. You're not an everyday Good Samaritan."

"Well for that," Jimmy smiled, "You better give something impressive. In a way I told you my story, sob story that is, so I guess I want to know yours."

"You have a knife?"

"What do you need that for?"

"You want to see something impressive, right?"

Jimmy did not answer right away, but he complied with the strange request. He searched inside his coat, "Wait for a second," and produced a small switchblade, "Here you go."

"I wonder how you never got into trouble with that knife," Keitaro numbly said as he took the blade, "Our laws are quiet strict with deadly weapons."

"I could always reason out that it's for peeling fruits."

Keitaro let out a nervous chuckle and inhaled deeply. Without any preamble, he slashed his left wrist.

"THE FUCK!"

"Calm down Jimmy," a pained reply came from the wounded man, "I'm immortal."

"The fuck you are. From my point of view you're just another suici---"

Jimmy was quickly stunned with what he saw. The blood flow was slowing and the cut in the flesh seemed to be sewing itself. A few seconds later, the only blood that remained were the ones that got out. The wrist did not even have a scar. But there was something else that caught his attention.

"Hey Taro, show me your right hand, open your palms. I need to take a look at them."

Keitaro furrowed his eyebrows but complied.

"Fuck me sideways." Jimmy muttered under his breath as he saw the hands on front of him.

"Satisfied?"

"What about that story?"

Urashima Keitaro took a deep breath, "It all began when I was split into six different people..."

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

Yes, yes, Mei Li and the Mapo Tofu came from Cooking Master Boy.

The next update might take some time since I'm quite down with a fever. But I will update as soon as I can. See you next chapter!


	3. In Vino Veritas

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

Hello, hello! As promised, here is the third update. This is one is quite long, at least for me who tries to be a minimalist. I'm thinking Keitaro might be a little OOC here. But then again, you don't get split into six different people everyday. Please review!

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

Now on with the story!

**Chapter 3 : In Vino Veritas**

It was Jimmy's turn to be surprised.

"So that pretty sums up the story of my life," Keitaro mumbled as he finished his beer, giving out an almost silent belch, "Well, so far."

A raised eyebrow and a half-grin was the magician's reply, "So let me get this straight, almost three weeks ago, you got split up into six different parts of yourself because of a mad scientist?"

"Yeah. Hey, I hope you don't mind if I get another drink and another pack."

"Like I said, it's on me," Jimmy lighted up another cigarette, "And before you even got split up, you were already having a 'hell-on-earth' experience?"

"Don't know what you mean by that," Keitaro responded as he took his beer and cigarettes, "That's just how my life went. If I could still call it a life."

"Ha!" the magician guffawed, "You're a manager for an all-girls dorm! An ordinary guy will tell you that you're such a lucky bastard. But here comes the zinger, the said dorm, houses what I could call the most fucked up women in the history of the planet!"

"Hey, they're not that bad! I got to see their good sides too."

Jimmy's eyes widened in disbelief, "You live with a firebrand that could punch you into the stratosphere; a kendo-girl slash, heir to their dojo slash, exorcist wannabe who attacks you with ki-based techniques; a mad scientist who has a fetish for mechanized turtles and came from a God-knows-where kind of country, who also makes a guinea pig out of you! Well you can fuck me sideways! Even with my magic, I don't think I'd even survive one night in that place of yours!" the magician choked out, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, you forgot Kitsune, Mutsumi, and Shinobu."

"Oh, of course," acidic sarcasm dripped all over the magician's words, "Who could forget the perpetual drunk and con artist who teases you and milks you for money! But wait, there's more! The turtle girl who always drops dead at the right place at the right time for your much deserved punishment! And last but not the least, the one that we shouldn't forget is the Lolita who just wuvs to do household chores! Not that I really mind the Lolita," his tone changed into something more serious, "But I sure value my ass not to get in jail because of cradle-robbing."

"Hey I don't see Shinobu that way!"

"Uh-huh, and with all those accusations you get from the firebrand and the kendo-girl, all it would take is another concerned neighbor to take it seriously and call the cops."

"Why can't you call them by their names?" Keitaro asked, visibly irritated.

"Not good with names. Anyway, I'm more interested in your clones. Anything about them?"

The young man's irritation disappeared in an instant and a slow portrait of sadness painted itself on his face, "To be honest, I was out of the loop. I don't really remember that much, other than what my clones told me. They all said I was missing for a some days until they managed to reintegrate themselves to form me."

At this revelation, the magician's features darkened a little, "What do you mean by reintegrating you?" There was a hard stress on the second to the last word.

"Well, I couldn't really understand all the technical terms, but Shinichi said---"

"Shinichi who?" Jimmy quickly interrupted.

"Shinichi. He used to be called Brainy Keitaro or just Brainy. He got tired of it and gave himself a name."

"These things have names?" the magician's tone became slightly alarmed, "Why the hell didn't you tell me this before?"

"You weren't asking?" Keitrao shot back with a smug smile. But that smile quickly faded when he saw how serious Jimmy was, "C-can I go on with my story now?"

"Shoot."

"Well, as I was saying, Shinichi mentioned something about bending the Space-Time Law or something like that to that effect. That's why I was able to come back. He said it was the best outcome, the others involved either all of us disappearing or just me coming back without them."

"So that's why those two women sent me..." Jimmy did not notice that he was mumbling to himself. But it was not lost on Keitaro, "Two women sent you? You got connections to my Granny Hina and Kanako?"

"Don't know who you're talking about," the magician broke off from his musings, "Anyway, you got a sob story to tell right? Or else you wouldn't be drowning yourself here. I mean, you got split up into six, doesn't that make you one big happy fucking family?"

"I wish that was the case."

"You wish? Christ, you just got a free pass. You don't have to worry about yourself flying off to the---"

Jimmy was cut off with Keitaro's outburst, "What the hell do you know? One day you got friends, who care for you and all, then just all of a sudden they become so distant; three years of friendship swept under the rug. They became too goddamn busy with those..." the young manager mumbled for a while, looking for the right word, while his eyes were slowly being filled up with a poisonous hatred.

The magician completed it, "Things?"

At this point tears began to fall from the young manager's face, he sniffed, "They don't want to be called 'things'. They see themselves as people. As persons," he coughed as he tried to wipe away the tears that kept falling. "It wasn't always like this. During the first few days the girls were still friendly and normal like any other day."

"Normal? Like what? They would hit you for some minor accident without giving you any time to apologize?"

"Yeah," Keitaro became silent for a moment, then continued, "At first they'd still hit me, but as the days went by they...they just stopped. All of the sudden, our talks just became civil. The girls doesn't expect me to clean or repair the dorms anymore. All the jobs went to Urashima, my supposed evil clone; as punishment I guess. Funny. Really. One time I went to the open-door baths to do my usual cleaning. Well, guess what? The girls were all there." Keitaro let out a little laugh.

Jimmy wanted to say something, but decided against it, and allowed the young man to continue.

"Motoko went ballistic of course, and as usual she brandished her katana and went after me; shouting her usual battle cry of 'Urashima! Hentai! Ecchi! You must be punished!'" Keitaro shot the magician with a happy but crying face, "For a second I felt excited and was about to do my usual routine of flailing around and apologizing. Even though, I know that it will fail and I'd still get hit no matter what. And you know what?" a pathetic laugh came out him, "I didn't get hit! Ha, ha, I didn't even notice that my evil clone, Urashima, was just right behind me. Apparently he was also going to clean the baths, and he was the one Motoko was referring to!"

A thick reinforced dam of emotions began to crumble as the distraught manager went on, "As expected he went to the stratosphere. But you know what was really funny, huh, Jimmy?"

The magician still remained silent.

Keitaro sniffed, "It took them almost thirty seconds to notice that I was there. And as usual, both Motoko and Naru sent me flying." Then, the emotional dam exploded. Jimmy found his drinking buddy laughing and sobbing in the same time, "And you know what funny? I looked forward to getting hit! Fucked up, you'd say, but I felt glad that they hit me!"

Jimmy remained silent for a time but when he saw more tears along with mucus, he reached for his pockets and threw a handkerchief to Keitaro, "I can be a sounding board here kid, but try not to make a mess of yourself. And yeah, keep the handkerchief."

"Thanks," Keitaro mumbled as he cleaned his face of its secretions, "So what do you think of my situation?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah, honestly."

"Sucks to be you."

"I'm guessing you're not into making people feel good with words, don't you?"

"Never was."

"You think I'm pathetic?"

"Of course, but for a good reason. A lot of people are in the same situation as you are. And I can understand that."

"Really..." there was a tinge of sarcasm in the manager's voice.

"Yeah, really. Don't get me wrong kid, when I say I understand, I do understand. Your pain? I don't feel it and I never will, but I understand it, I really do. We all got our own crosses to carry, I won't carry yours, and you won't carry mine either. We can't just swap our pain, misery, and torment with other people. Doesn't work like that."

"Then why say you can understand?"

"Understanding something is fundamentally different from experiencing something, Taro."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Like I said before, a lot of people are in the same situation as you. They suffer from pain similar to yours, yet at the same time, entirely different."

"You're not making any sense Jimmy."

The magician sighed, "Would you mind if I tell you another story?"

"About you?"

"No, not about me. But about someone who is in the same predicament as you, Taro."

"Well, I wouldn't mind. Go ahead."

"Yeah, but before that, would you like a change of pace? I'm getting tired of just drinking beer."

"That's alright with me."

"What do you like drink?"

"Whatever it is your having. You seem to be the more experienced drinker."

"Very well," Jimmy raised his hand to call the attention of the bartender, "Maiko-chan, get me and my friend some rum-cola."

"Anything specific for the rum and cola?"

"Bacardi and Coke."

"White or gold?"

"White."

"Diet or regular?"

"Give me a break here."

The bartender gave a hearty laugh, "C'mon, it's just a little teasing. I know you always go for regular. Just wait a sec, okay?" she winked as she tended to the mixing of their drinks.

"You fancy her?" Keitaro asked.

"Nah," Jimmy smirked, "I'm too old to trip and fall in love. I got so used to being alone for so long, I'm now afraid of settling down."

"Or you can just say that you can't take the hurt anymore and walked away."

Jimmy smiled, "You're quite insightful when you put your heart unto it kid."

"Hope I'm not interrupting," Maiko smiled at the two of them as she placed down their drinks.

Keitaro took a sip, "Not bad, so, what about your story?"

"Well," the magician took his glass and swished it for a while, "Like all fucked up stories, it begins with once upon a time..."

*****

"There was a happy family, made up of Mom, Dad, and Junior. Dad ran some sort of business. Don't know what it really was, and I guess it doesn't matter. What's important was that business was good. It kept them fed, clothed, and warm. Then tragedy struck. Mom was driving the car to take Junior to school when a drunk truck driver hit them. The truck was no behemoth, weighed only eight tons. But it went sixty to zero on the side of the car; driver's seat. Mom had no chance."

"Dad was so angry. He was so angry he hired a hitman to fix the driver. But he hated Junior a lot more. Whatever Dad's reasons for hating Junior, the poor kid didn't know. Even Dad didn't know, he just needed to hate the poor bastard. The father hatred for the kid grew a lot more when him at the funeral. After the service, Junior got a lot of I-love-yous from Dad; in Morse Code with a leather belt, while the Dad kept on saying boys shouldn't cry."

"Junior couldn't hate him back, he just can't. He wanted to get out, but he knew he wouldn't survive without his Dad. So he lived under his father's house. He had to obey and submit. Despite all the beatings and tongue lashing, the boy persevered. He got a scholarship, took up management, graduated top of his class, and built his own business empire. And when his name got into the Fortune 500, his Dad died."

*****

"But you know what Taro?" Jimmy said as he gulped his drink, "Junior cried harder during the Dad's funeral. His cries were louder and more painful compared to the Mom's."

Keitaro blinked, "You've got to be kidding me." his unbelieving tone was very much pronounced.

"You want to know why?"

"Of course."

"Look at yourself."

Keitaro was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"You said it yourself right? How you looked forward to getting hit by that firebrand and kendo-girl?"

For a while, Urashima Keitaro pondered on what the magician said. He swirled his drink in hopes of getting some sort of inspiration to enlighten him. Slowly by slowly, it dawned to him. He remembered the dinner he had a few nights ago; left over sashimi and tonkatsu, and barely half a cup of rice. He had to raid the emergency three-minute instant ramen and add it to his pathetic dinner to sate his aching stomach. Up to now, he still felt the lethargy of just sitting around on his room, reading books or manga, because all of his managerial duties taken over by a clone. And lastly, was the irritation of being barely acknowledged, despite the warm pleasantries he gave to his tenants whenever he passed them by.

"Do you get it now?" the magician asked.

A single teardrop fell from Keitaro's red eyes, "I felt so alive back then..."

"And why is that?"

"I-I-I really don't know."

"They made you feel so alive because whether they treated you good or bad, the fact that they acknowledged your presence, that they made it known that you were there, somehow affirmed your existence."

"And now..." Keitaro mubled wide-eyed and teary.

"It's all gone. Who you were and what you were supposed to be for those girls got replaced by those clones. And that, my friend, is the reason for your despair. You feel that you have lost your purpose."

"My purpose?"

"Am I wrong?" there was a hint of irritation in Jimmy's voice, "Goddamnit Taro, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you cared for those girls, and you felt that they did too. At one point, your managerial duties became so personal that you wanted them to see you as a friend. And maybe more than that."

"I can't say that you're wrong. After all, the manager must take care of the tenants."

"Christ, you're so fucking selfless, the saints in the Vatican would hang themselves in shame if they still could. The way you described those girls, I didn't even feel any contempt get out of you. From my point of view, those girls made your life hell in more ways than one and you're still dead-set on getting back their attention?"

"Is that so bad?"

Jimmy removed his glasses and slapped his face with his two hands; then he massaged his temples, trying to remove a non-existent headache. After getting some "relief", he put his glasses back on and went, "Seems like you never understood the story."

It was Keitaro's turn to be silent.

"If you found yourself in a quicksand, would you just stand and wait, or grab the nearest branch or vine?" the magician asked.

"But if you move in a quicksand you'll sink faster," the manager added innocently.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Jimmy, the magician that he is, had cast a spell that rendered him unnoticeable unless he wanted attention. Urashima Keitaro appreciated this little trick, since he was taken aback by the man's explosive rage.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? ARE YOU SO FUCKING DENSE? GODDAMNIT!"

"C-c-c-calm d-d-down..." Keitaro stuttered, visibly shaken with what he saw. He came to realize that he must have taxed the man's patience to its limits.

Jimmy banged his fists on the counter and between labored breaths apologized, "Sorry...Taro...it's just that...you're...the most...depressing fucker...I met in my...whole life..." being a chain smoker did not help the man recover his breath.

"I'm sorry Jimmy. I didn't mean to--"

"Save it kid," the panting man interrupted, "Don't you feel sorry for yourself? Apologizing for things you haven't done? Taro, it wasn't your fault, it was mine. I think I used the wrong analogy. Just let me get my breath back okay?"

Keitaro only nodded.

After a few seconds, Jimmy regained his composure, and fired a question, "Let's say you were drowning, with a ball and a chain helping you sink faster. Will you still try to swim up? Or just give up and die?"

For a while, the manager contemplated in silence, "Well, if the ball and chain is securely tied, there's no chance you'll be able to swim up. But I guess I don't want to die either. So I'll still swim up, or try to get the chains off." he looked towards Jimmy with eyes asking for approval.

The magician smiled weakly and nodded his head, "I guess that will do."

"So how does the question matter in the story?"

Breathing a deep breath, Jimmy replied, "The boy in that story? The way I see it, he made it his purpose in life to make his father proud. So he worked his ass off just for that, and when the father died he was devastated. Why? He lost his purpose."

Before Keitaro could reply, "But the story was open ended. Who knows? Maybe the boy moved on. Maybe he did find a new purpose in life. Or maybe not. But that doesn't matter anymore. Suffering is like that ball and chain, you can either sink or swim, it's always your choice. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional—totally optional."

"Move on?"

"Yeah. The world brings you down, you just stand up, square your shoulders and move on. So what if those girls lost interest in you? It's not the end of the world. Christ, you're still young. You got so many years to kill."

For a few minutes, both men sat in silence, nursing their own drinks. It was only then, that they noticed the slow and soothing jazz music, the muffled laughter of some patrons, and the shuffling feet of the drunks trying to drag themselves home. Keitaro, now staring at his empty glass, broke their reverie, "You think we should call it a night?"

"Good idea, but not without a finale," Jimmy called for the bartender, "Maiko-chan, last one here. Give me and my friend a shot of Jack Daniel's. And bring the bill."

*****

"So this is where you live...Hinata Inn."

"Yeah," Keitaro said with a tinge of sadness, "Home sweet home."

"Or not," Jimmy finished for him, "Come to think about it, we never got your whole story really covered, right?"

"What part?"

"Your clones. You only told me two of the six; Shinichi and Urashima."

"Well, the others---"

"It's alright. I got all I need."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. By the way, do you still want my help? You never made it clear you wanted it, since we got lost in our stories."

Keitaro remembered the magician's offer, "Oh, I almost forgot. But wait, what about---"

Again, Jimmy cut him quickly, "Payment? None needed. And before you give me the usual 'you're too suspicious' speech, listen to me carefully. I'm offering to help you. If you say no, I walk out. No looking back. You say yes, then you'll get my help. No matter what."

"But---"

"No time for 'buts' boy, decide." The final word was more of a command.

Keitaro balled his fists, _"Well, what do I have to lose?"_ and throwing caution to the wind, "Alright. I accept your offer."

"Good," Jimmy then pulled a small notebook and pen out of his coat pocket, "Write down your number."

As Keitaro took the notebook and did as he was told, he could not help but notice that Jimmy took two cigarette sticks from his pack, gave them an intense glare and mumbled some sort of gibberish.

"Here you go Jimmy, that's my mobile phone number." handing the items back to the magician, the manager then asked, "What's with the cigarettes?"

Jimmy remained quiet for some time, his eyes seemed to be working up on getting courage to say something.

"Hey Jimmy!"

"I guess...you deserve some light in the dark, Taro."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Let's just say that 'Plan A' is too late to be...implemented. Whatever 'Plan A' is, or was, I'll tell you when the time is right."

Keitaro looked confused, but just nodded his head to show his affirmation.

"So I'm gonna have to use 'Plan B'," Jimmy handed one of the sticks to Keitaro, "But you have to do your part."

"I thought you were going to help me."

"Of course, but I can't do all the work. What I'm gonna ask of you is very simple. Just talk to those clones," the young manager was about to protest, "Listen to me. I'm also helping you help yourself. All you have to do is talk to them, get to know them a little better. Do that and you will realize something about those clones."

"And that would be what?"

The magician gave out a tired sigh, "All in due time. Just trust me. When you think that you already know what I want you to know, smoke that cigarette. Then I'll call you." Jimmy smiled a tired smile, "Now get some sleep. We're both tired and quite drunk."

"One last thing Jimmy, how much magic can you do?"

"Well," he scratched his head, "I know a little bit of a lot of things. A jack-of-all-trades you might say. I think I specialize in one or two types of magic, but I'd rather keep it a secret. Tricks of the trades, as they say."

"Can you do something about dreams?"

Jimmy's right eyebrow arched, "Careful kiddo, the mind is a dangerous thing to mess up with. But in any case, what do you want?"

"Dreams," Keitaro stammered, "I don't want to dream anymore."

"You'd rather have nightmares instead?"

"No, both of them, I don't want dreams or nightmares."

"At least give me a good reason why I should poke inside your head."

"Well," Keitaro hesitated for a moment, but went on, "Well, nightmares are pretty clear, who wants them? Nobody. But my dreams of the good times, whenever I wake up---"

"Oh, I get it. Every time you wake up from a good dream, you'd wish that you never woke up at all," the magician let out a bitter chuckle, "Let me tell you though, it's gonna be painful."

"I'm immortal remember?"

Jimmy just smiled and took another cigarette, lighted it and motioned Keitaro to come forward; the young man complied wordlessly. Without any warning, the magician grabbed his neck and pushed the burning cigarette into the hapless manager's forehead.

Keitaro was no stranger to pain. But this was different. The cigarette did not just burn, it felt like a power-drill was boring a hole into his skull. What made it more excruciating was that he felt ice-cold fluids were being sucked out of his brain; only to be replaced by molted lead. When he felt he could not tolerate the pain anymore, he opened his mouth scream—but failed.

"Done."

The young manager felt his head for any burn marks. He found none. And the pain he felt, a few seconds ago were completely gone.

"Get a goodnight sleep, Taro. You need it. Badly. Oh, be sure to keep that cigarette stick safe."

"Will do, thanks Jimmy."

"No problem. Anything to help you right?"

Keitaro gave Jimmy a bow as dictated by Japanese custom. The magician did the same, although in an awkward fashion. And with the formalities finished, the manager of Hinata Inn sped towards the dormitory.

As he watched Keitaro slowly disappear to the top, the magician gave himself an internal scolding, _"I should have been faster in getting here. Now, it looks like the boy has to take the hard route,"_ and as he walked away, he cannot help but brood more and more over his plan, _"It sounds so simple, but it could prove to be a little difficult with him. I must investigate more, and when that day comes I must have a good set of words."_

Jimmy stopped and looked back over to the direction of Hinata Inn.

"_You're an anomaly, Urashima Keitaro. And a lot of forces want your 'existence'...corrected."_

**Author's Notes:**

Japanese terms an misc:

sashimi – raw fish, usually dipped in soy sauce mixed with Japanese horseradish

tonkatsu – simply put, it's breaded porkchop

ramen – noodles; can be stir-fried or can be served in soup

hentai – pervert

ecchi – somewhat in the same league with hentai, but less, think of sexual innuendo without intercourse

____________________

This was supposed to be presented in two chapters, but I felt that Jimmy, the OC/minor SI, should be taken out of the picture for a while so Keitaro can be developed. So I lumped up what was supposed to be chapters 3 & 4. Well what more to add...besides a longer waiting time for the next chapter, you can expect to find some character developments with Urashima and Shinichi. And once I manage to find names for the rest of the gang, the updates might get a little bit faster but shorter in length. My creative juices almost ran out for this piece. Expect to find the next few chapters will have a lot of introspection and very minimal action.


	4. Photocopies

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

Fourth chapter already up! Once again a little bit OOCness from our lead. After all, this fanfic is about him and his change.

Soth11 : Thanks. I decided that an overly sympathetic character who will defend Kei is a little bit overused.

Abel Nightcross : The forces are a little bit of a crossover but nothing major. They would be mentioned in passing. About Jimmy and Constantine, well I'm an avid reader of Hellblazer. Guess no trench coat for my OC/SI then, hehe.

Visigoth29527 : I only do imagery when it is necessary. Most of the time it's only talking, a lot of it. I build my stories on characters talking a lot because of my minimalist leanings.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 4: Photocopies**

Keitaro opened his eyes and realized something.

Magic does exist, and Jimmy was indeed a magician.

There were no dreams last night, only sleep. No nightmares of being left alone. No dreams of getting married to the "promised" girl. Even the childhood dream of playing in a sandbox and making a promise did not haunt him.

His musings were broken by the sound of a sliding door.

"Oi! Original, you gonna...you look like hell."

Looking at himself, Keitaro realized that he was still wearing last night's clothes, even his socks. And though, he could not see his face in a mirror, he knew that he had bloodshot eyes and ragged hair. The way his clone—his Evil clone—looked at him was a dead giveaway.

Urashima started again, "You gonna skip lunch too?"

Standing up, he replied, "I'll just wash my face and be down there."

"Don't keep us waiting." And with that Urashima went down. But not before giving him an odd look.

As Keitaro washed his face and gargled, he swore that there was a look of concern in his clone's face; which was unbecoming of his supposed evil nature. Finished with the morning rituals, he went down to eat.

He sat at his usual chair and began to eat, albeit half-heartedly and oblivious to the looks of the others. It was Naru who fired the first question, "Where were you last night? Haruka-san got worried."

Keitarao did not respond. He just went on to chew his food, his eyes a thousand miles away.

"K-K-Keitaro? B-b-brother? You okay?"

At this point he snapped out of his "isolation" mode and answered, "Fine...", and looking to the stutterer, "What was your name again?"

"H-Haru. You forgot?"

"Well, looking at the six of you reminds me of looking at a mirror. I don't talk to myself at the mirror."

Motoko snapped at him, "Pathetic! Your powers of observation are totally amiss! You have failed to recognize that they don't look like you at all! Well, not anymore."

A rock star lookalike with spiky hair agreed, "Yeah. I mean, take a look at you. Our faces do look the same but you look like hell."

"Already told him that Isamu." Urashima responded.

"Don't remember talking to you...pedo."

Urashima stood up, poised to attack, but another clone did the same and tried to keep the peace, "Everyone, just be calm, okay? I guess apologies must---", but he was quickly silenced.

"Oh shut up Makoto!" both of the clones said in unison.

"B-but he was just trying to be nice." Haru stammered out.

"You too, you spineless worm!"

All hell broke loose. Naru stood up to help his "boyfriend" diffuse the situation and so did Motoko. But insults still kept flying left and right.

"Oh, so much for the guy who's girlfriend is a bodyguard."

"Yeah, but you're still a pedo. Your worse."

"Pedo? Is that delicious?" Suu piped in.

"I'm evil, but I'm not a pedophile you noisy fuck! You didn't even try to keep quite for the last two weeks! I swear you're both exhibitionists!"

"Urashima! You vile pervert, we did nothing like that!" the samurai bellowed.

"Oh really? Then who was mooing like a cow all over the place?"

Motoko flared up and reached for her katana, but her hand was held by Isamu, "Save it Mo-chan, this guy isn't even worth it."

"Worth what you---"

"Senpai," Shinobu begged with teary eyes, "Please don't fight."

Urashima grudgingly obliged the young girl's request and sat down, but not before giving Isamu and Mokoto a deadly glare.

With the order restored, Makoto turned his attention to Keitaro and asked, "So where were you last night?"

The manager responded without looking, "In a bar."

"You were out drinking Kanrinin-san? I only hope it is not our rent you're spending. Money has better uses, like repairs for the apartments, not for vices that weaken the body."

"My friend treated me out."

"Whoa," Isamu blurted out in surprise, "You got a girlfriend now? Cool what she's like?" Motoko's eyebrow arched, the rocker noticed and quickly added, "I mean, man, I'm happy for you. You were so down since last week."

"He's a guy." Keitaro responded with nonchalance.

Everyone was stunned for a few seconds. Naru was the first to recover, "Don't tell me you're so desperate that..." she gulped, "You know?"

"I don't swing that way. And neither does he."

Suu, in her eternal innocence, asked, "Is swinging delicious?"

Red faces appeared left and right. Only Keitaro, who was still calmly eating, and a gray haired clone remained unaffected. Said clone took a banana and said, "Here Suu-chan, you can have mine. Now be a good girl and be quiet."

"Thanks, Shinichi! Hey you'll play with me later, right?"

"Yes."

"Yipee!" the girl from Molmol squealed with glee.

Not wanting to be in the middle of another awkward "interrogation", Keitaro put down his chopsticks and stood up, "Lunch was delicious. Thank you Shinobu-chan."

As he walked towards the stairs, he stopped for a while and asked the others, "By the way, where is Mitsune and...what was his name again?"

"Aoi? Still sleeping I guess. They were drinking hard last night. Are you sure you're alright? Kanrinin-san?" asked Makoto.

Keitaro turned his back to them and muttered, "I'm fine," and walking to the second floor he reminded them, "Rent is already due. Just drop it in my room." He did not wait for any response and just shuffled towards the individual baths.

*****

Steam and cigarette smoke collided in the air.

"_Kanrinin-san?"_ Keitaro mused, _"When I first got here, it was sukebe, hentai, and ecchi. After some time they called me that, Kanrinin...how long has it been that they have been this formal? For two or three years, I lived with them, then all of it just disappeared in an instant. Ever since that..."_

He took another drag, but instead of the nicotine induced relief, he found himself coughing, _"Fuck,"_ he looked at his cigarette and saw that it was spent, only the filter remained. Reaching for his pack, he noticed that there were seven sticks inside, six had white filters and the other one was orange, _"Lucky Strike? Of course, that's his favorite brand."_ Taking one of the Mild Sevens and lighting it, he went back to his thoughts, _"What do you want me to realize before I smoke that stick Jimmy? You sure are one strange man, offering me help with nothing in return."_

Ten minutes and two cigarettes later, he decided that he had enough of both steam and smoke. He splashed water in his face and hair, he did even use not soap or shampoo, and got out of the barrel. After drying and putting a bathrobe on himself, he walked towards his room. As he opened the door, Keitaro thought he heard soft moans of pleasure coming from Room 205. _"Kitsune?"_ A small chuckle came out of him, _"Looks like they're the ones mooing like cows. But the again who knows?"_

Making sure that his was locked, Keitaro lit up another stick, _"Better talk to my aunt later."_

While dressing up, he noticed one of his adult magazines was sticking out. Picking it up, he read the article titles on the cover, almost mumbling it out loud, "Pleasure your woman more...Boost your ego...New lengthening process...Brand new positions...More hot babes inside..." Groaning out loud he nearly threw the magazine away, but one title caught his attention: Human Cloning and the Future. His eyebrows rose up a little, _"Well, what do you know, one of the usual 'serious' articles in magazines like this."_ Sitting down on the floor he quickly scanned the pages of the said article.

The writer of the article must be talented, it was written in an idiot-proof language. There were not much jargons or technical terms, and if there were any, they had good explanations. As Keitaro read it, one paragraph caught his attention.

*****

However, there are pressing questions concerning the nature of the clones themselves. Will they have the memory of the cell donor? Will they behave like their progenitor? Will they be even normal? One glaring question, however, outweighs them all: Will they have a soul? We are still in the dark. And right now, more and more questions, rather than answers come out of this subject.

*****

A sharp knock interrupted his reading. He hid the magazine, he could reason out that he was just reading the articles and not ogling the models, but Hinata Inn was not the place for such reasons.

"Who is it?"

"Kanrinin-san? It's Naru. Haruka-san wanted to talk to you."

"Fine, I'll be there."

"Um, about the rent. The others gave them to me to give it to you."

He stood up and opened the door, "Let me guess, Kitsune doesn't have it yet."

"Well..." Naru trailed off, "She's still asleep with Aoi." A furious blush came to her face.

"Don't tell me you all sleep with your respective boyfriends?"

"What?" She blurted out, "No way. Only Kitsune does that with Aoi, and Makoto-kun is not my boyfriend!"

"Yet." Keitaro added and thought, _"Same old Naru, different guy."_

"Oh," she grumbled, "Just take the rent already." With that she pushed the envelopes to Keitaro's hands and ran off.

Keitaro went to the safe deposit box to hide the money. As he was about to close it, he remembered another important object that, perhaps, he should hide. _"Jimmy's cigarette."_ Reaching for his pack, he took the lone Lucky and placed it carefully beside the money. Satisfied with his foresight, he locked the safe and went to the Hinata Tea House.

*****

"You don't have to worry about me smoking Haruka-obasan."

"I'll let that one pass nephew. Since when did you start smoking anyway? I don't remember you taking up my habit."

"Or vice."

"And since when did you finish other people's words?"

"Sorry."

"No problem, we've got other things to worry about."

"Like what?"

"Food mostly and repairs. Not to mention other utilities and the upkeep of the apartments."

"Oh, yeah. There's six of me out there and they're not helping."

"Not at all, Urashima helps Shinobu cook and does most of the things you used to do."

"Good for me then, I guess."

A solid thwack from Haruka's harisen landed on Keitaro's head. "You're the manager. That's your job."

"Was."

"It still is, Keitaro. I can appreciate Urashima's work. The other's just lounge out all day, except for Makoto who helps me here. Aoi is just like Kitsune, Shinichi is always tinkering with his gadgets if he's not 'playing' with Suu. Haru locks himself up most of the time, he only goes out when Mutsumi is around. And from the looks of it, we won't be seeing him much."

"Why? And where is the turtle girl anyway?"

"Turtle girl?"

"_Damn you Jimmy!"_ Keitaro cursed to himself, "What I meant was, where is Mutsumi?"

Haruka's eyes narrowed a bit before she answered, "Back in Okinawa. Said she has something to do there. She took a leave of absence from Toudai."

"Which means Haru is always at his room except when he eats or bathes."

"Not all the times. Sometimes, Shinobu brings his food in their room."

"Their room?"

"Makoto, Isamu, and Haru all share Room 303 since they get along without much trouble. Urashima sleeps downstairs, and Aoi..." She trailed off with a visible frown on her face.

"Must be fucking the fox as if they're in season."

Haruka nodded, "Yes, yes, that's true..." but was taken aback with what she thought she heard, "What did you just say?"

Thinking quickly, Keitaro replied, "What I said was that he should find work and not be lazing around with Kitsune. Anyway, I'll have a talk with them."

"I better go with you. Sometimes, they only behave when I'm around."

"Then let's go." Inside his head, Keitaro mused on his recent slip-of-tongues. _"One night with Jimmy and his attitude seemed to have rubbed off on me."_

Meanwhile, Haruka could not shake the feeling that her nephew has changed a bit. She saw him so depressed for the last three weeks ever since the split-up affair. He did not even know what was happening around or maybe he did not just care. But now, he seemed to be quite normal, although distant to the people around him. She shook those thoughts away as the two of them arrived in the apartments and called everyone for a meeting.

All was present for the meeting since it coincided with dinner. Between picking, chewing, and swallowing, several voices wafted through the meal.

Aoi started with a tired groan, "Oh come on, you've got Urashima and Makoto right?"

"Well, with Makoto, I don't have to hire any more for help at the tea shop," Haruka answered, "However, the money we save is still not enough."

"Electricity and water bills are also rising." Keitrao added.

"At an alarming rate." Haruka seconded.

"Eh? But why is that?" Kitsuned asked.

"Try looking at the number of people here airhead."

"Hey don't talk to Kitsune like that Urashima!" Naru bellowed out.

Not wanting a repeat of what happened earlier, Makoto immediately tried to keep the peace, "Let's just be calm people. We can all work this out."

"Yes, that is wise," Motoko agreed, "Diplomacy is always a good first option."

"But Mo-chan, if I work we won't have much time with each other."

With that single protest, more followed.

"Shinichi isn't much fun to play with. Who'll play with me with them gone?"

"I-I-I'm afraid of g-going o-outside."

"I'll miss my favorite TV shows with Kitsune."

Keitaro threw his chopsticks on his plate, "You people sure like to complain."

Sadly, his voice was not heard. The excuses piled up and insults came next.

"Well if some people here would just work like me---"

"Oh don't get started pedo."

"At least I don't spend an hour on the fucking mirror like you emo."

"P-p-please let's just all eat in peace."

"Growing a spine already twerp?"

"Leave him alone Isamu."

"Oh look! Here comes the social-worker in shining armor."

"Oi, if you're gonna clock each other, say it to me first. We need to collect some bets!"

With the exception of Shinichi, who just observed with indifference, and Haru, who already balled himself up in his chair, the remaining clones verbally assaulted each other. Soon enough, their girlfriends backed them up, except for Shinobu who silently sobbed at the spectacle. Haruka could do nothing but join in too, but her voice was overpowered.

"I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS FUCKING FREAKSHOW! EVERYBODY. SIT. THE FUCK. DOWN. NOW!"

The dining room was filled with the sound of buttocks instantly being placed on top of the chairs. All of them stared at the Kanrinin with unnerved eyes.

Keitaro lighted a cigarette, took a drag, and began to speak in a calm but barbed and venomous voice, "Better. Now listen up. I took care of this place for almost two years. You hear me? Two fucking years. And I didn't even complain. Having a roof over my head was enough compensation. Now. It's your turn. I'm going to talk to you one by one, and you better have ideas."

Shinichi raised his hand.

"What is it Shinichi?" Keitaro asked.

"I was reading the paper this morn---"

"Get straight to the point."

"There's an opening in this small computer game company. They need a programmer. I think I can still make it if I call tomorrow."

"Then do it," Turning his attention to Haru, "You."

"I-I'm clumsy b-but I'm good with numbers. B-but not as good as---"

"Help Haruka at the cashier in the tea shop. That way she can serve customers faster with Makoto. Don't touch anything fragile. And you, Aoi? Can you get that lazy ass of yours to work?"

"There's this bar that needs a comedy routine. I think my jokes can hack it."

"You're already a clown without even trying. Just make sure to ask for money as your salary and not booze." Finally he looked at Isamu, "I guess I don't have to ask."

"There was this coffee shop where I dated Mo-chan--"

"Straight to the goddamn point."

"They need a barista. And well, I think I make good coffee."

"And if you don't?"

"Well it pays little if get in as a trainee."

"Better than nothing. Now I guess this we're finished here. Enjoy your meal. I'm done." With that he stood up, but not before Shinobu said her piece, "Kanrinin-san?"

"What is it Shinobu-chan?" His voice was a little mellow; the barbs dulled a bit, the venom less deadly."

"I have nothing too cook tomorrow. The fridge is empty. I-I forgot to buy groceries."

"That's okay. Guess I won't make it to the market at this hour. I'll just buy some instant ramen at a convenience store. Maybe they also have some eggs, bread, and powdered soup. It's not that delicious, but we'll have something to eat. After that, I'll be at the market." Looking around, Keitaro asked, "Anything else? I need to go out to buy some food."

"We've got classes tomorrow." Naru nervously said.

"Then I guess I won't be there."

"But your grades are not so good as of late."

"Do I look like I give a damn?"

Naru just stared down at the rejection.

"Who'll play with me?" Suu asked. "Nobody wants to play."

"Your problem. Not mine."

With that, he went to the stairs to go up, but Urashima wanted to have a final say, "Hey Original. It's nice to see you have a spine."

Looking to his clone, Keitaro gave him a half-smile, "I'll take that as a compliment." And with that he disappeared to his room to get some money.

"It is a compliment." Urashima smirked.

*****

Keitaro found Haruka waiting for him outside his room. "Anything Haruka-san?"

"Since when did you pick up that kind of language?"

"Doesn't matter."

"It does."

"I need to buy food obasan."

She was about to about to give him another harisen-slap, but Keitaro held her hand; his grip seemed to have become iron. "Not satisfied with just being an obasan? Get knocked up. So somebody can call you mother." He released her and went to his business.

Haruka stood for a while, her eyes wide open. After some time, a single teardrop fell on her tired face.

In the convenience store, Keitaro reflected on the things he just said and done. Somehow, there was anger inside him. Anger that got out without any warning. He remembered the look Haruka had on her face when he said the things that he said, _"I should apologize. Haruka was just worried about me."_ Thinking of a peace offering, he bought a six-pack of canned beer, another square of Mild Seven and one Belomorkanal; her favorite smokes.

Keitaro found his aunt sitting on the top of the stone stairs. Her red eyes a clear accusation of crying.

"Peace?" He said as offered her cigarettes and a can of beer.

She remained silent as she opened the can and lighted a stick. Keitaro did the same. For ten minutes or longer they just sat there, smoking and drinking.

"What happened to you Keitaro?"

"They happened."

Haruka looked at him with mild concern, "You know, at first I thought we'll be a lot more happier when they came here. Your copies or whatever they are. Except for Kanako you never had another sibling, one related by blood."

"I wish I could feel the same."

"You never got that angry with the girls."

"They're guys. More important, they're copies of me. All of them have bits and pieces of me. And when I saw them...I just can't help but feel a little angry."

"Why? Do you hate yourself?"

"Maybe. Anyway that's not important. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Always knew you wanted to have a family of your own. But---"

He was cut short when Haruka leaned on him at first, then she almost smothered him in a tight embrace. "Keitaro. Since you came here, I watched you grow up for two years. Please don't grow up so fast that I won't know you anymore."

Caressing his aunt's short hair, "Don't worry. I might change but...I think it'll be for the better. Those thing I said? I guess I was just tired. Don't mind them."

They stayed in that position for another few minutes. After that, both of them agreed that they needed sleep for the morning to come.

In his room, the young landlord of Hinata Inn had a hard time closing his eyes. His thoughts sounded on his head as tried to find the comforting darkness of sleep.

"_Hate myself, huh? Or hate my other selves? Why did I explode like that? Is it because of Jimmy's stories? About the young man who lost his abusive father? Maybe it was about pain and suffering? I don't know. When I first came here it was all about Toudai and the promised girl. I'm in the university now, but without the girl. Somehow I found another purpose in being here at Hinata Inn, to take care of the girls..."_

Keitaro rolled on his side as tiredness came to his body. His eyes were already closing and sleep seemed to be on its way. After a few more minutes, the sandman did its job, but not before Keitaro realized something.

"_Am I starting to find out that it's not worth it anymore?"_

______________________

**Author's Notes:**

Kanrinin – manager or super of residences

sukebe – like hentai and ecchi, it's another insult for perverts, some mangas I read though, translates it as molester

harisen – a paper fan

Belomorkanal – a brand of cigarettes from Eastern Europe, very strong

As you can see, this chapter was quite long due to the characters' spoken lines and Kei's introspections. There won't be much on the girls and I apologize for bumping Mutsumi off, I'm having a hard time trying to fit in a lot of characters. Reminds me, I also have to deal with Kanako. I just hope I can write a less obvious deus ex for her. Of the clones, Urashima is of interest to me, I always felt that exploring Kei's supposed evil side is a good try.

I might not be able to update for a while. My parents are dragging me to the farm for Christmas season. And well, there are no computers there. But I will still write with pen and paper, rest assured I will finish this story. Expect that the next chapter might get out in the first of second week of January.


	5. One of these Mornings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Author's Notes:**

How was Christmas and New Year? Hope you had a good time. So as promised here is the fifth chapter. This one is quite slow and quite subtle. Read carefully, especially the dialogues. They reveal something about the chapters to come.

Abel Nightcross : Thanks. I was actually thinking the clones' introductions might come out as confusing since it's the dialogue that carries the story.

Soth11 : Well, the fifth chapter is here. Kei won't be much of an ass, but from time to time, he might get caustic.

Halo Expert : Epic? Wow, thanks, but I'll try to keep this one short. Something below fifteen chapters or so.

Wonderbee31 : The girls, huh? Let's just read, m'kay?

Jet Black Jr. : Ah, the power of reviews. It's a spoiler, but yes, she'll make an appearance. And please no Kei/Kan pairings. I read some good ones here, but I don't think I have the ability to pull it off.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 5: One of these Mornings**

A small grunt escaped from Keitaro.

Hinata Inn's stone stairs could be considered a death trap for lazy walkers. And right now, the young Kanrinin ambled like a zombie while climbing the steps. He felt tired. But it was not because of the fully packed grocery bags he was carrying in both of his hands. His exhaustion came from the morning scenes that he might have to wake up to everyday.

"_Another 'usual' day for me, huh?"_

*****

Breakfast was made up of toasted bread, fried eggs, and mushroom soup. The residents ate with gusto, since they knew it would be a hectic Monday; they needed all the energy they can get.

Keitaro, however, was busy munching his cigarette—his fifth for that sitting alone. His food was barely touched; three spoonfuls of soup, half a slice of egg, and a nibble on the toast was his "breakfast".

"So," the manager began while taking a drag from his Mild Seven, "I guess I don't have to remind you of your respective tasks? I'm expecting everyone will be job-hunting."

As if on cue, Shinichi was the first to answer, "I start today actually. I will not be back until Wednesday. Just consider it some sort of a really long overtime work."

"Whoa, Brains, slow down, you might get yourself all fried-up."

"I was talking to Shinichi, Urashima."

"Okay, just giving my usual evil banter. C'mon keep it cool Original."

"Oh yeah right, and we're all supposed to pissing in our pants."

"Shut up, emo."

"Go get yourself spanked, pedo."

"The two of you," Keitaro's voice spelled danger in its wake, "Shut up already. Shinichi, what's up with this overtime?"

Adjusting his glasses and coughing slightly, the genius clone answered, "Apparently, they have a major shortage of programmers. I emailed them last night. I was surprised myself when I got a reply in a span of ten minutes. I and one of the programmers talked over IM. And---"

Keitaro interrupted with a cough. Shinichi quickly knew what he had to do, "Well, just to make it short. I got accepted immediately when I sent them a copy of a program I wrote. And that's it. Anything else?"

"Well, I guess you have my thanks for not being such a pain. Congratulations. Now, about the rest of you..."

Urashima answered first, "Well, I'm just gonna stay here and do some repairs. Not to mention laundry and cleaning the house."

"I already know that Urashima. What about you, Haru, you think you can start today?"

"Y-yes. Makoto-kun explained how to d-d-do my job at the register."

"Just try not to faint all the time. How about the two of you? Aoi? Isamu?"

"Well, I guess we're the only ones that have to go to those places and ask for the job. Don't you worry Original, I know I'm gonna make it."

"Really? Confidence alone won't win the interviewer. What if you don't make it?"

"Well, there's the trainee position..."

"And if you still don't make it?"

Isamu could only give out a half-hearted smile. Keitaro turned his attention to Aoi, his happy-go-lucky clone, "And you?"

"I'll be gone after breakfast. I mean, hey, we better start giving back something for the trouble, eh?"

"And," Kitsune chimed in, "I'll be going with him."

"Oh, is that right? The resident sake-gobbler is finally getting out of the bottle. Care to tell me why?"

Everyone became deadly silent. Keitaro asked again, "What is it now?"

Kitsune answered him in a somewhat pained voice, "It's nothing really. Just that, once in a while you snap. It's very...unbecoming of you. In any case, I'll be watching Aoi. He's a lot more of a riot than me. Don't want him to get into trouble."

Keitaro smirked, _"Talk about the blind leading the blind."_ He crushed his cigarette, "Well, I guess it ends here. Anything else?"

Suu groaned out, "I'm so bored. I won't have Shinichi anymore to play with."

"I'll be back by Wednesday, Suu."

"But you only play the PS3 with me."

An irritated sigh came out of the kanrinin's direction, "Can anyone of you just play with her already? Urashima?"

The evil clone violently shook his head and when Keitaro looked at the others, they all gave him the same response. "Just what is it that you want Suu-chan? You've got a PS3 already, VR simulations and all that. Don't tell me you're still bored with those kind of gadgets."

"I want to test my new MechaTama," Suu became excited all of a sudden, "I put on a new targeting system, a better AI, and of course, weapons. There's now a photon cannon, hellfire missiles, and flamethrowers!"

Keitaro gave himself a mental slap, _"Oh, hell. So that's why,"_ he then blurted out, "Well, princess, nobody wants to die a virgin. Tell you what, I'll just get some more bananas. That okay with you?"

Suu whimpered her half-hearted agreement, "M'kay."

"I guess that's it then." Keitaro began to stand up, only to be stopped by Makoto's voice, "Keitaro, you barely touched your food."

"I wasn't really that hungry. Anyone can have it as seconds. That is, if they don't mind eating leftovers."

Naru stopped him before he could stand up to leave, "Let's talk."

For a brief moment, Keitaro felt a little bit disconcerted. Her tone was not really hostile, but it demanded attention. "Alright then. What is it?"

"In private."

Naru and Keitaro found themselves on the kitchen. A tense silence enveloped the air around them; somehow, both of them did not want to be the first one to start the conversation. Another minute or two might have passed, and it was Keitaro who broke the ice, "Alright, just the two of us. What's this about?"

Naru opened her mouth to talk, but closed it again; she was hesitating, not really knowing what to say.

"You know that I still have to buy some groceries, Narusegawa. Stop wasting my time." With that, Keitaro started to exit the kitchen, but was stopped when he felt his arm was being held by Naru.

"Make it quick."

"That was cruel of you."

"What was?"

"What you told Kitsune earlier. She's been shaping up you know. I mean, she still drinks a lot, but her freelancing takes her off the sake."

"Didn't notice. Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Well," Naru paused for a bit, "About last night."

"What about it?"

"It's just that maybe you were tired and all. But it seems that's not really the reason, isn't it? You still have that attitude you showed last time. It's very unbecoming of you."

"Never knew you were that concerned."

"Of course I'm concerned!" Naru almost screamed, "What's happening to you?"

"Guess I'm growing up."

"Is it because of me and Makoto-kun?"

Sledgehammer to the gut. That was the pain Keitaro felt at the question laid before him. He felt himself shake, looking for an appropriate response. He found none.

"Keitaro..."

"No, that's not it. You'll be late for class and I still have to buy some essentials. We better get going."

"Don't tell me you're grades are not that important anymore. You might get dropped if you get too many absences."

"_Why the hell do you even care? You've got yourself another. Are so goddamn unsure of who to choose? What am I? A rebound that you're reserving, just in case of?"_

"Kei---", Naru was interrupted when she felt Keitaro break loose from her grasp.

"I don't want to talk about it. You'll be late for your class, you better go."

"Please." He could have sworn that Naru's eyes were beginning to swell up with tears."

"No."

That was the end of the discussion. Keitaro waded into his room to get money. As he was turning the knobs on the strongbox, he could not help but realize something that happened earlier. _"She called me by my name. Last night, it was just kanrinin, and now this. Just what the hell am I to you Naru? I was gone for a few days and you already fell for a copy of me. Just because he was so kind. I wasn't kind enough for you? You always got my attention. I took those punches like a heavy bag, no complaints whatsoever. The painful words. I took them all. So why? Why are you now with him?"_

Tears began to fall on the young man's cheeks.

*****

Keitaro let out a tired sigh as he concluded his reminiscing; just in time, since he found himself on the end of the steps and in front of the inn. He was greeted by the sight of Urashima sweeping dry leaves off the front.

"_And he's supposed to be evil. Looking at him, I could swear he enjoys his work."_

Urashima noticed and asked, "Hey Original, need help with those bags? I'm almost finished here."

"Nah, I can manage by myself."

"So who cooks for lunch? You or me?"

A small smile snaked itself on Keitaro's face, "Go ahead. I'm not in the mood to cook anyway."

Finished with his sweeping, Urashima set the broom aside and went to the kitchen. Keitaro followed suit.

"So you bought anything I could cook?"

"What can you cook anyway?"

"I suck at vegetables. But I guess anything else would be okay."

"I bought chicken. Can you cook it karaage style?"

"Did you buy ginger, soy sauce, and garlic?"

Keitaro could not help himself but grin, then he gave out a small chuckle.

"What's so funny Original? That's how you cook karaage."

"How did you know?"

Urashima blushed a heavy red. Inside his head, he knew what Keitaro might be thinking.

"Spending a lot of time with Shinobu?"

"Oh shut up!"

"C'mon. How old is she now? Fifteen? She's just seven years your junior. You won't get the electric chair you know."

"How about I just cook first and then talk. I'm getting hungry."

"Fine, I'll let you off."

Keitaro found himself wondering about his supposed evil clone,_ "If he's evil, then how come he's so tame? Is it really because of Shinobu? Heh, I heard that men need women for that so called 'civilizing' effect."_ He lighted a cigarette as he continued with his introspection, _"Him and Shinobu, Aoi and Kitsune, Haru and Mutsumi, Isamu and Mokoto, Suu and Shinichi..."_ Keitaro's musings were cut off by the last pair. _"Whoa, wait a second...well, it's possible. Suu is older than Shinobu by a few months or maybe a year. Bah, I guess with her acting so much like a kid I almost forget that. But somehow I don't feel that they...what am I thinking? Jeez, here I am looking for someone to pair up with since every girl has one of my clones. Naru has..."_

He was not able to continue his thoughts. He just took another drag from his cigarette. The carbon monoxide around him prevented his nose from smelling the newly cooked lunch.

"Yo, Original. Don't tell me you fancy eating while standing up here in the kitchen. Why don't you set up the table?"

"Well, well, something is telling me that you like being the boss."

"Right you are, by the way, get some extra plates. Makoto and Haru take their lunch here."

The sound of a sliding door echoed across the halls. Makoto peered in the kitchen and asked, "You need help setting the table?"

Keitaro gave him a nod. The three of them prepared the table. Only Haru was sitting idly and doing nothing; the plates and other breakables somehow shook him slightly.

"Itadakimasu!" The four of them shouted at varying degrees.

"Your skills are improving Urashima, your cooking gets better and better."

"Why thank you social worker, and you should really thank me. After all, this could be your last meal if I ever find a bottle of cyanide."

Haru began to choke. Fear enveloped his eyes as the thought of a melted throat burned in his mind.

"Oh, for God's sake Urashima! Get me some water!"

"Fucking hell, water would just make the cyanide's work easier."

"H-h-help me please! I-I-I'm d-d-dying..." Foams began to build up at the side of Haru's mouth.

"Urashima!"

"It's a freaking joke! Get over it already!"

"Keitaro please help me with Haru!"

Without any trace of panic or urgency, the kanrinin positioned himself near his timid clone and simply whacked his head. "Haru, try not to believe everything people throw at you. Are you a freaking hypochondriac? You weren't dying because of cyanide, you almost choked to death because you stopped yourself from breathing."

"S-s-sorry."

"No need to be sorry. Just drink some water and keep eating," Keitaro turned to Urashima, "As for you, no more cyanide jokes. Crazy mornings I can tolerate. But that doesn't mean I want my lunch and dinner molested as well." As he went back to his seat, he noticed that Makoto was giving Urashima a deadly glare. _"Kind one my ass."_

All of them continued their lunch in relative silence; except for Keitaro who was smoking again. His mind seemed to wandering elsewhere. That place was a distant memory of happier times; where he was the only Keitaro at Hinata Inn. Memories of highs where he enjoyed every moment he spent with girls and the lows where they served as each others' support reeled in his head. A voice cut him in his wandering, "You're not eating," it belonged to Makoto, "Cigarettes kill you know, and besides the cyanide joke, the karaage is delicious."

"Of course it is."

"Then how come you didn't even take a bite? I hate to see my cooking wasted you know."

Urashima's comment made Keitaro look down on his plate. Lo and behold, the chicken karaage was still there, sitting unspoiled. "I guess I'm not that really hungry."

"Not that really hungry?" Makoto bellowed, his expression reminded Keitaro of Naru's face that morning, "What are you trying to do? Starve yourself? You've barely eaten food the past few days."

"Because I'm not hungry."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh come on Saint Makoto, if he doesn't want it, then I'll just give it to Haruka-san."

"No Urashima, Keitaro-kun must eat."

"I'm not a goddamn anorexic that needs a forced feeding session. Thank you for your concern, but to be blunt it just irritates me." With that said, Keitaro stood up and went to his room.

"_Just what the hell is his problem anyway? First it was Naru, then him. What the hell is going on here? They never paid attention to me. What's up now? Are they feeling guilty since that outburst of mine? That they suddenly need to take care of me?"_

A sharp knock found itself on his door. Keitaro stood up, feeling a little more vexed, "I told yo---" he was cut short when he saw Urashima, "Oh, I thought it was Makoto trying to make me eat it again."

"They're gone. Haruka-san called them back to work."

"Well then, I guess I'll just---" Urashima cut him short with a simple request, "I need some help repairing the floorboards in Kitsune's room. Still haven't got the hang of hammering nails."

Keitaro nodded and followed his clone to the room. Between pounding nails on the floor, Urashima voiced out his concern, "You know I might sound weird. But you are beginning to worry the people around here. Even me."

"Really."

"Yeah, really. Don't tell me you don't remember what happened for almost the last two weeks or so."

Keitaro frowned. "Of course I remember." He felt himself giving out a bright, shining lie. _"Truth to be told my memory is quite hazy...ever since Jimmy used his magic."_

"You're lying."

"Excuse me?"

"I said you're lying. I can tell from the look on your face."

"Okay, fine. I'm a little bit in the dark whenever I try to remember." Inside his head, the gears were turning round and round again, _"I only asked for my dreams to be gone. But the memory of the past weeks? Well, I still know who I am, what I did, and where I came from. But those two weeks...maybe it's better that way. Jimmy might have seen my memory as I have seen his. And removed those...as he said: Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional—totally optional. Right now, I don't need to suffer."_

"Well just to fill in the details. Most of the time you were always at your room. You barely got out. And when you did, it's as if you've avoided us."

"Right. As far as I know all of you were to busy making out with each other to notice me whenever I took a walk."

Urashima became silent. The kanrinin was right. "Well, at first yeah. The girls were so fixated on us. But eventually they remembered you. Too late I guess. You were already locking yourself up. You didn't even sneak out to get food anymore. You just stayed inside your room; barely making any sound. The food I left at the door was never eaten. Well, sometimes it was, but I think it was that mad scientist of a princess."

"You brought me food?"

"At first it was just me. Then Shinobu tagged along. She was also getting worried that time."

Keitaro became silent again, he was about to lapse into introspection once more if not Urashima sharp yelp.

"OH FUCK!"

"What's the problem?"

"Like I said, not so used using a hammer." Urashima nursed a swollen and bleeding index finger, the fingernail was black because of the impact. Keitaro took his clone's hand and examined it, inside his head, he found something very odd about the situation."

"What? You gonna kiss it to make the pain go bye-bye?"

"No, that's unsanitary. Strange, why isn't it working?"

"What isn't working?"

"You know our healing..." his words trailed off as he saw a small scar etched on Urashima's fist. "When did you get this scar?"

"A few weeks ago. I beat up some thugs who were harassing Shinobu while we were out for groceries. Gave them a good one that my hand needed some care."

Without any words, Keitaro took the hammer and fixed the last of the squeaky floorboards. "I never got scars you know. Never did, my body always stitched itself up."

"Well, were not you Original. Come to think of it, Brains wants you to tell something about it."

"About this?"

"Yeah. Pity he won't be back till Wednesday."

"Well, were done here. Anything else to repair?"

"Nada. Until the girls start complaining again."

They both stood up and began to put the tools away.

"Hey, Original."

"What?"

"You gonna eat dinner? I think I gonna make teriyaki and miso soup."

"Maybe. If things start to become crazy expect me to get out." Keitaro began to walk away, but stopped and asked another question, "Hey Urashima, what's up with Makoto and Naru?"

The evil clone raised an eyebrow and said, "They're an item. Just like the rest of us with the girls."

"I see."

"Still rooting for her?"

"No...well a little...oh what the hell! I don't want to talk about this."

"I saw them go inside a love hotel one day. When I was buying groceries with Shinobu."

"I didn't ask for that."

"Just to let you know, she still gets worried about you. But there is 'worried' and then there is 'worried'. If you know what I mean."

Keitaro walked away with a painful look on his face.

*****

Several hours have already passed. The punishing sun above Hinata City lowered itself, slowly giving off less heat before it turned to blood red. Twilight came, and the moon and the stars began to shine in the cloudless night. All of this was lost on Keitaro. He had been sitting on inn's roof for hours, oblivious to the beauty of the passing day and time itself.

"We saved you some leftovers." it was Haruka, as usual there was a cigarette trapped in her lips, "You got a light nephew?"

Wordlessly, Keitaro handed his aunt a lighter. She took it and lit up her stick, taking a drag before she continued, "How long have you been here?"

"Two. Maybe three years. I'm losing count. When I think about it, time seems to be a problem with me. It's like I'm jumping hours, days, or weeks."

Haruka's harisen landed on his head, Keitaro did not budge which served to worry his aunt some more. "Are you sure you're okay? I was asking how long have you been on the roof."

"I don't know. Don't remember, don't care. By the way how did---" Keitaro was interrupted by his aunt gently pulling him into her lap. She gently cradled his head and rubbing his hair she answered him, "If it's about Aoi and Isamu, yeah they got the job. Isamu works tomorrow but Aoi doesn't work until next week."

Keitaro remained silent for a while. Haruka let out a stiff sigh, as she caressed her nephew's hair. "Haruka-obasan---" his aunt pinched his ears this time, "Alright, alright, Haruka-san. Can you tell me something?"

"What?"

"The girls...are they happy with my clones?"

"That's the way I see it...Keitaro are you still rooting for Naru?"

"Yeah. I'm having a hard time saying it to her. Now, that she has Makoto."

"Well, Makoto is a good guy."

"He's my kind part, remember?"

"Well yeah, that's true. But come to think of it he seems to be changing a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I heard him fighting with Naru one day."

"Why?"

"Well, he was quiet resistant to my questions. But in the end, he gave in. He's feeling a little insecure around you."

"Really."

"Can you find a better answer Keitaro? Sheesh, you might get into my nerves."

"About Makoto."

"Well, we all know Naru and you had some sort of mutual understanding before you got split up into six. To be honest she wasn't really accepting of Makoto at first. But then, she eventually accepted him. She cried really hard when she thought he died. And I guess, she's now becoming conflicted with you around. Tell you what Keitaro, I guess you should move on. Just be friends with her, or just forget."

"Uh-huh. Me lying down in your lap. You giving that kind of talk. What's next? The 'you can have your aunt as a lover even if it's wrong' speech?"

Haruka clocked her nephew's head, "Very funny. I'm not that desperate you know. Besides, Seta has been dropping a few calls which are getting a lot more frequent."

"Seta-san? I thought he was staying here in Japan? What happened? Another dig?"

His aunt grimaced for a while, "Well...some crazy things happened while you're gone. Seta needed some time off and flew out, tagging Sarah along."

"Oh...I see. By the way Haruka-san, where is Kana-chan?"

Haruka became silent, her lips sewn shut.

"Haruka-san?"

She slowly stood up, gently pushing Keitaro away. "Keitaro, I think I'm going to sleep early. I guess you should too."

"You didn't answer my question."

He heard his aunt gave a long tired sigh, "She just went away for a while. I guess she'll be back in a day or two." With that she began to walk away, leaving a confused Keitaro.

"Haruka-san, wait!"

She paused for a while and gave him a confused look, "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Nothing. You better get some sleep."

*****

Keitaro was torn with indecision as he stared at the single Lucky Strike inside his strongbox.

"_Not until I realize something. But what is that I should know. Damn it, Jimmy. I want answers now. But I guess I can still wait."_

He closed the safe and began to hammer himself with his thoughts, _"My memories...they seem so fleeting. Even the way I perceive time. An hour or two can pass and I won't even notice it. Come to think of it, I'm the one who's feeling weird. They...those clones of mine just act normally."_

Keitaro yawned as he covered himself with blankets. Jimmy's magic was still in effect. There were no dreams or nightmares. Only sleep.

But the last image inside the young manager's head was Urashima's black and bloody index finger.

**____________________**

**Author's Notes:**

karaage – deep-fried meat, usually chicken, marinated in soy, ginger, and garlic

teriyaki – broiled or grilled meat marinated in sweet soy sauce, applies even to fish

The next chapter might be short or long. I'm still working it out, it will be about Jimmy. Somehow, I felt that I needed to get the mystery out of him a little. Not to forget the "forces" that are interested in Keitaro. R&R people! See you next chapter!


	6. The Powers That Be

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

This one is quiet short. I made this as some sort of breather since I'm having writer's block on how to write the next chapters concerning Kei.

Abel Nightcross, Halo expert, ig40kman, windybreeze: Thanks for the reviews. Hehe, this one came quiet fast. I'm not that sure about the next chapter though. But I'll do my best.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 6: The Powers That Be**

Jimmy drummed his fingers on the keyboard.

On the monitor, several profiles of individuals flashed one by one, criminals and ordianry citizens alike. The magician scanned through them and was dissatisfied, _"No, it's not here. I better look on another folder,"_ the mouse pointer hovered on a link that read: Recent Deaths. Jimmy clicked on it, typed some keywords on the search query, and hit enter. The results made him frown.

"_Godamnit. Six people died that day."_

Descriptions of death and the subsequent autopsies flashed on the screen, _"Three accidents and three homicides. Nothing unusual, that is if you're just another ordinary person."_

Jimmy turned off the computer and got off his chair. Looking around, he smirked at the sight of a dozen police officers—all asleep. He sighed and went to the information help desk, where a female junior officer was happily dreaming. On the far right side of her desk, there was a strange symbol made up of blood; it was already dry and was on the verge of cracking. Jimmy inhaled deeply and blew some wind onto the strange sign. The rusted cake of blood began to dissipate, then it disappeared in the air.

The spell has ended. One by one the sleepers awoke.

"Concerning that information I was asking about..."

"Oh!" the junior officer was startled as she removed the dust on her eyes, "I'm really sorry sir. But we cannot give that kind of information. You have to be a family member of the deceased, not just a friend."

"I see. Well, thank you for your help."

"Of course sir, have a good day."

"Right back at you." Inside his head, Jimmy began to process the knowledge he have just gained, _"Six people dead. No...make that seven."_

*****

A very beautiful woman was waiting outside the police station. She sported a waist long hair, neatly tied into a ponytail. But it was her clothes that was to die for. She wore a red one-piece dress, with a strange butterfly design tracing its way on the left side where a slit displayed her creamy legs.

Most of the men who saw her almost had their eyes gouged out because of ogling. The women had to tighten their leashes on their husbands or boyfriends. Despite that, she was still admired by the people who saw her.

Except for one.

"Ah, Jimmy. You took your time. Did you find what you were looking for? You know you could always ask me."

"It's rare to see you outside of your shop...Witch of Dimensions."

"Oh," a look of childish disappointment came to her face, "My, my, such formality. There is no need for such. Would you like to have some tea with me?"

"I'm a coffee person...Yuko."

"Is it the tea? Or is it me? I know the voice of distaste when I hear one."

"_Damn, the Witch is not someone I should mess up with,"_ Jimmy reprimanded himself, "Very well, I'll come with you. But don't expect me to know anything about tea."

"Oh, I can teach you a lot about tea...for a price."

Fear inched its way on the magician's spine, _"Oh hell no, don't tell me..."_

"You pay the bill."

With that said, the witch grabbed the magician's arm and began to walk. A lot of people found it a strange sight—almost appalling. For a very beautiful and sophisticated woman was walking, arms locked, with a very forgettable looking man. The less kind and courteous teenagers muttered "beauty and the geek" under their breaths; while the older people could only shake their heads, thinking that the two might be having an affair.

Jimmy found himself at a familiar place.

"Welcome to the Hinata Traditional Teahouse!"

With a familiar face that smiled at him. He found it odd, the owner of the said face seemed to have the kindest glimmer around him. _"No, this is not Taro. It's one of his copies."_

"What can I get you?"

"Jimmy, I suggest you go for Earl Grey tea..."

"_Right. 'Cause I'll be turned to a toad if don't."_

"And for me, I guess Oolong tea would do."

When Makoto, the server, left to get their orders, Jimmy instantly fired a question, "Of all places why here?"

"For you to observe them."

"Observe? This is too close for comfort. I've got some investigation skills, but I'm not a full blown detective Yuko. I got my own way with things. Now, I know that you know a lot more than what you're telling. I just hope I only end up paying for the tea."

"Not to worry Jimmy, I will not make this casual talk turn into one of my transactions. But such things aside, how goes your investigation?"

"Still in the dark, but I managed to find some answers."

"If that is so, then I am glad. I do hope you can expedite your efforts."

Jimmy remained silent for a while, "Just what is it with that boy? There's no evil in him. If there ever is, well, he's still human just like me. Never perfect and always marred with frailties."

"Do you know of a certain ten year old wizard?"

"Springfield? The child professor who teaches English?"

"Yes, he was almost killed when his Pactio Partners failed to utilize their powers."

"And this happened when?"

"Almost three weeks ago. The time when he was split---"

"I'm sorry to interrupt ma'am, but here are your orders. Earl Grey tea for the gentleman, and Oolong tea for the lady." Makoto laid down the cups on the table and politely excused himself again.

"Charming and courteous is he not?"

"Yeah, but he's just a shard. Well..."

A knowing smile came from the witch, "What is it Jimmy? You were not specific in telling me about your progress. Have you come to realize the inevitable truth?"

He bit his lips before replying, "What's about Springfield? You sure that it was on the same day?"

"Yes. Concerning other matters, have you any knowledge of a miko who resides in Tokyo?"

"Eh? A colleague of the Guardian of Time and Space?"

"No, this one is different. She is called Higurashi Kagome. She broke her leg when she jumped into the Bone Eater's Well."

"Um...duh?"

Jimmy regretted his flippant remark when he saw a frown on the Yuko's face, "Not a fear, Jimmy. I am not angry."

"_Only annoyed I guess."_

"Nor annoyed."

"_Is she reading my mind?"_

"And I am not reading your thoughts."

"I give up. So she broke her leg, it must have been a dry well, right?"

"It is no ordinary well. She is transported five-hundred years in the past if she jumps into it...and it failed."

"On the same day?"

"Yes. But this last one is the most alarming of them all. A small vortex to the Demon World opened. An ordinary human had to fill the role of a spirit detective for order to be maintained."

"Urameshi?"

"No. Urameshi is someplace else as of the moment. It was Kuwabara."

"Okay, let me guess, on the same day right?"

"No."

Jimmy frowned at the witch's answer, his features increasingly became alarmed, "What do you mean? If it didn't happen that day, then when?"

"Yesterday."

"Fuck me sideways, this was more serious than I thought."

"Jimmy."

"Yeah?"

"Please watch your language."

"Sorry."

"It is of no consequence. Just be more careful next time. But this, I must know. You are a magus of a different background. I am sure that there are other powers who have noticed this as well."

"Yes. But they didn't talk that much. Agamotto told me to go here in Japan, while it was the Phantom Stranger who directed me to you. I guess beings like them got a lot of things to do."

"Of course. Despite their power they can not interfere in such a direct manner, they can only guide. Just like the way I am doing with you."

Jimmy removed his glasses and ran his hand through his hair. He gave his neck a gentle one handed massage as he pondered on the witch's words. "Yeah, I guess so." Letting out a tired sigh, he called the server and asked for an ashtray.

"Lucky Strike?"

"My favorite brand," he extended his hands to offer some to the witch who gladly accepted.

They both lighted their cigarettes and stayed quite while they took drags from the cancer sticks.

"Jimmy, are you afraid of me?"

"Who wouldn't be? You grant wishes and extract a terrible price. I don't know the extent of your powers. But your wish-granting scares me enough."

"Truly why is that so?"

"I'm confident in my abilities, but I know I'm just a worm compared to you. Not to mention that I've never seen what you're really capable of. You're like a chess player and I maybe one of your pawns. Expendable at your leisure."

"You need not be afraid of me. And no, I do not consider the people I know as mere pawns in a chess game."

"I hope so. By the way, what about the Guardian? The only time I saw her was when she was with you. Briefing me about this work."

"I believe she might appear to you in a later time or maybe not at all. She rarely leaves her post, duty is something she takes very seriously. I doubt that she will set aside some time for idle banter. And I must advise you, she is not as friendly as me."

"_As in she won't rip me off me for the bill?"_

"Something like that."

"What?"

"Oh my look at the time. We better finish our tea. I still have to return to my shop."

"And I still have a lot of investigating to do."

Finished with their cups and the bill paid, the two stood up and made their way outside.

"I must say Jimmy, all those time that we were talking nobody found us as some sort of an odd couple."

"When you dragged me around people can't help but stare. That's when I casted my spell. Besides, if people heard what we were talking about, they might have called the men in white suits, and we'll be in the loony bin for good."

"Oh my," a small laugh escaped from the witch, "Why did I never thought of that?"

"Maybe because you're so used to being weird."

"Ah, well, just like what I always tell Watanuki-kun: There is nothing wrong in being abnormal until you don't hurt anyone."

"_What the hell have I gotten myself into?"_

"Jimmy, could you do one last favor?"

"Anything for you my lady," the magician's tone was visibly tired and irritated.

"Can you spare me some cab money?"

Jimmy watched Yuko wave at him as she entered the cab. Relief flooded his veins when he saw the taxi speeding away towards its destination.

"_I didn't sign up for this."_

He looked over to the direction of Hinata Inn and gritted his teeth against each other.

"_Damn it Taro, how the hell did you get yourself in this mess? You must be the most unlucky bastard I've ever met."_

**____________________**

**Author's Notes:**

Concerning the cameos; Negi Springfield is from Negima, Kagome is from InuYasha, and Kuwabara id from Yu Yu Hakusho. Yuko is of course from xxxholic, hmmm, I think I should let you guess who the Guardian is, hehe.

Agamotto is one of the Vishanti. A group of extra dimensional magical beings who manage the different realities in the Marvel comics. The Phantom Stranger is a character that serves as a helper of sorts to the various heroes in DC, most of the time as a source of information or a someone who gives out ominous warnings.

Now, now, don't get all excited. They won't get airtime here, like I said in the past chapters the crossovers will be limited and most of them would just be mentioned in passing. Well, R&R people, and see you at the next chapter.


	7. Closing the Doors

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

Seventh chapter! Woohoo! This one is about Kei again, expect some OOCness from some characters.

Zeroeye: Expect a lot of surprises then.

Abel Nightcross: Like I said before, Jimmy is patterned after John. If I ever use him again in future works, I'll develop him to make a delineation. As for Kei, well, let's not spoil it, shall we?

Halo expert: I can understand that, sometimes I feel out of place too when reading crossovers. But I promise, crossovers will be minimal and and most of them would just talk—not act. I use characters from other series to establish the story since OCs can be straining when it comes to back story. And I will always explain what manga/anime they came from.

windybreeze: Haha, I'm flattered that my piece of work inspired you. Cheers!

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 7: Closing the Doors**

Time passed painfully slow for Keitaro.

Most of his classmates, most noticeably the boys, were aptly fixated on their Physics professor. Her green hair and sparkling garnet eyes were captivating; even though her voice was cold and clinical, they were still smitten.

Keitaro, however, did not care. His mind was wandering in the days of his past, trying to find some sort of happiness by escaping reality.

"Urashima-san."

No response.

"Urashima-san."

Still no reply.

"Urashima-san," the extra coldness added to the voice made Keitaro snap back to reality, "Yes?"

"Answer this question for us: A certain ball made of glass will break if dropped at the speed of two meters per second on the floor. I drop it at the height of fifteen centimeters. Does the glass ball break?"

"Well, I guess not, sensei."

"Urashima-san, may I remind you that this is a physics class. Guessing is not something we do in science, if we ever did, we do it in an educated manner," she showed him a piece of chalk, "I want you to come in front and write the formula for us."

Keitaro stood up and went to the front, oblivious to the snickers of his classmates. The situation he was in reminded them of high school, and since they were in college, the sight of a twenty-two year old going in front made them laugh in their insides.

On the chalkboard the formula appeared as such:

d = (vf^2 – vi^2)/2a

.15 = (vf^2 – 0)/2(9.8)

2.94 = vf^2

vf = 1.71 m/s

"Very good. But I must say that your formula was a little hurried up. You may go back to your seat. Now, aside from Urashima-san, can anyone explain how he arrived in such a conclusion?"

Another student raised her hand, it was Naru. With a scholarly tone she explained the nuances of the formula, but it was all lost to Keitaro; he just sat down again and allowed his mind to wander once more. Before he knew it, the class had already ended. As he was walking in the hallways of Toudai, he felt a hand tap his shoulder.

Naru gave him a proud smile, "Hey you did good back there. Where in the world did you get the that formula? I never found it in the textbooks I use."

"I had some other books about the subject. I guess I got it from there."

"Keitaro---"

"Strange. A few days ago when you gave me the rent, you just called me kanrinin. What's up with that?"

"I want to talk to you, but not here. Let's find a coffee shop or something."

"Why not here?"

"Keitaro, please don't run away from this one. I just really want to talk to you."

"I'm not running, Naru, I'm walking."

Naru took his hand in a gentle manner, prompting him to stop.

He looked into her eyes and saw genuine concern. Urashima's words floated inside his head, _"But there is 'worried' and then there is 'worried'. If you know what I mean."_

"Please."

"Alright then, how about the coffee shop where Isamu works? You know where it is?"

"Yes. But not there. I want it to be in some other place. Where people won't recognize us."

Keitaro was puzzled, but nonetheless followed her. Instead of taking the train back to Hinata city, they walked around Tokyo, trying to find a place where they can continue their discussion. His puzzlement grew to epic proportions when he found himself standing outside a tall building, "Naru...this is not a coffee shop. Just what the hell are---"

Naru took his hand with an iron grip, he knew that resistance was futile, but he tried nonetheless, "Naru have you gone insane?"

"Just shut up. Most guys would jump just to get this opportunity."

"Well, I'm not most guys. Besides, I think this isn't the best place to talk. People come here to do more that just talk." His agrument failed to convince her, he was dragged inside and before he knew it he was already standing in front of a reception desk.

"Shut up and sign," the last word carried death on its shoulders. Not wanting to abuse his immortality or be made to pay up for damages that might come out of him flying through a wall, he obeyed. But he placed a fake name on the register. Naru did the same, "Now let's go."

A heavy, sweet, and gagging smell wafted in the otherwise crystal clean room; pillows were big and fluffy, the bed looked disturbingly inviting and seemed that it could handle up to four people, the dimness of the lights invited romance, and a shower room was available. Keitaro's head was bombarded with questions and half-hearted answers, _"This is wrong...or is it? I...love Naru. I love her still. Hell I don't care if that clone of mine loves her. I love her! But this is cheating right? Do I have to stoop so low to get love? To be the other guy? The number two? Maybe. Maybe not. What the hell?"_

His thoughts were broken when Naru pushed him into the bed. She kicked off her shoes and jacket then threw herself at him. Her kiss was fierce, Keitaro swore he felt her tongue search for his and when she did not find it, the kiss was broken. Before he could even breathe, Naru attacked again; first giving his chin a slight nibble, then working down his neck. Her hands undid the buttons on his shirt and he felt electricity jolt inside him when she kissed his chest. One by one the walls of logic were beginning to crumble, his lust was slowly, but surely, working its way on his head. Still, logic made good of its last stand.

"_No, no, definitely no! Shirai and Haitani told me something about this. They called it a 'pity fuck' or a 'mercy fuck'. She just feels sorry! No I don't want this! I won't settle for this kind of lovemaking!"_

Reason restored, Keitaro found some hidden strength inside him, he quickly grabbed Naru before she could undo his belt and threw her on the other side of the bed.

"I'm sorry Naru. But for once I guess I want to be selfish. I want have sex with someone who wants to have sex with me because they want to, not because they feel so awfully sorry for me."

She remained silent. Deadly silent. The type of silence that rivals the calm before the storm.

"Naru...are you okay?"

Keitaro's neck was caught by two deadly hands. His airflow was being blocked, his mind filled with fear he had never felt before. Naru's eyes gleamed with a murderous intent, she seemed to determined to choke the life out of him. He tried to move, but she mounted him down, locking his body in a submissive position.

"Why?"

He could only answer back in his thoughts, _"Why what?"_

"Why? You don't want me? I don't excite you? Not anymore? What about those nosebleeds you had? Tell me why? Why?"

"_I wish I could...if you could just get your hands off my neck! GODDAMNIT NARU! YOU'RE KILLING ME!"_

"I love you Keitaro. I had the same feelings for you even before we got to Toudai. I just had a hard time showing it to you. But you kept going on, you chased me back and forth. You never gave up, until now! I thought you love me! Why can't you show it now?"

He tried to be flippant in order to overcome his fear, _"Well look at us! You're on top...not that I mind, but...you're strangling me you...bitch!"_ but it failed, _"Oh god, oh god! Naru...is a freaking yanderekko! A PSYCHO-BITCH GIRLFRIEND FROM HELL!"_

"Why did you have to come back? I already fell in love with Makoto-kun while you were gone..." Naru began to cry, her grip's firmness became weaker, until she fully let go, tears overflowing her face.

Keitaro wheezed as he tried to catch his breath. With the oxygen flowing back to his lungs, he spat back at the girl who strangled his neck, "I didn't ask to be split up into six, Naru. It was because of Suu's goddamn experiments."

She threw herself at Keitaro's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He responded with a reluctant hug, while his face wore a bitter frown.

"You're still so kind after what I did to you. God, I don't what to do."

Sarcasm dripped out of his teeth, "Well, you could've just punched me, I would have appreciated that."

"I'm sorry Keitaro. I'm so sorry."

Keitaro hesitated to ask, but went on with it anyway, "Who do you really love Naru? Me? Or him?"

"I don't know. I'm still confused. I just don't know. Please just hug me, Keitaro. Don't ask---"

"You have to decide here and now Naru. Spare us both the pain and confusion."

"I-I-I just...I had sex with Makoto-kun, Keitaro. No, made love. We made love with each other."

"Then you love him?"

Naru evaded answering the question, "Then you came back. At first I didn't mind. But as the days went by, my feelings for you just showed up again. I-I hurt Makoto-kun."

"What do you mean by that? How?"

"While we were doing it, I accidentally shouted your name. We had a fight. I told him I just slipped. Being what he is, he let that pass. But he can't help but feel sad about what happened. He told me that he could accept the fact that I still love you and wouldn't mind if we get back together again. He'd even support us he said."

"_So that's why Makoto was acting strange that time. He thought she was ready to leave him and he wanted me to take care of myself for Naru. My god! He's the kind side of me! The kind side of me! If that is really true, then...I must be so pathetic. So ready to sacrifice myself for the sake of others."_

"Please help me, Keitaro. This is very hard for me to do. I can't even ask Kitsune about this."

Keitaro broke off their embrace. He gave Naru a longing and sad look, "There's a difference between loving and being in love Naru. From the way I see it you do love me. But...you're not in love with me, not anymore. You said it yourself, you fell in love with him. I'm just like a close friend now. Someone you talk to, have fun with, but not love."

Naru wiped the tears on her face, "But you're in love with me right?"

"Yes."

"Then what are you saying?"

"_Everything must come to an end. This is something I just realized now. Happier days must give in to the sad, in order for us to appreciate those joyful times. I must end this once and for all."_

"Keitaro?"

"Naru listen to me," his voiced echoed with authority as he gripped her shoulders, "Walk of out this room. Go back to Hinata. Makoto is working his ass off in my obasan's teashop." Inside, his heart began to bleed. _"Just be done with it already. In a way, you already broke my heart when you chose my clone and forgot about me. Me who is the real one. Me who is complete. I just can't understand why am I not enough for you."_

"What---"

"Break my heart Naru. Or I might change my mind and never let you go."

Naru blinked several times at what Keitaro said, she slowly edged herself away from him, stood up, arranged her clothes, and walked to the door, "Keitaro...thank you. Thank you and sorry." Without looking back, she left the room, closing the door gently with an almost inaudible click.

He crashed himself into the bed. Tears fell down his face one by one. His mouth quivered, his chest heaved, he tried to keep it all in, but it was useless. All of his pent-up emotions came out in a bitter laugh, that slowly became a desperate cry for someone to be there.

No one came.

Urashima Keitaro had never felt so alone in his whole life.

*****

"_Damn, I guess I must learn to control my emotions better. I had to pay extra for the room."_

"Urashima-san," a cold voice came out of his back, "What are you doing in such a place?"

Turning around, Keitaro came face to face with his physics professor, he hastily greeted her "Oh, sensei...Well good afternoon, ma'am."

"Good afternoon to you too. Now, I hope you don't mind answering my question. We may be out of the classroom but I believe I am still a person of authority."

"With all due respect sensei, but I'm not in high school anymore. I'm an adult. You don't have to worry about me in these kind of places."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I hope I don't sound rude but I want to go home."

"Can you spare some time for me Urashima-san? How about a coffee break. My treat."

Not having any good reasons to turn down the invitation, the young man relented. Nonetheless, he found his professor's manners a little unnerving. Her words were polite but here tone never changed; it was still like before in the classroom—ice cold.

"I think this is a good place to talk Urashima-san. Let's sit down here."

"_Well at least she brought me to a real coffee shop."_

"What would you like to drink Urashima-san?"

"I guess brewed coffee would do. I'm not into fancy drinks anyway."

"I guess I'll have the same then," she raised her hand and called for a server. Keitaro was shocked when he saw him.

"Well a good afternoon to you, beautiful lady and to you...Keitaro?"

"Isamu."

"You know each other?"

"We're siblings," both of them said in unison.

"Twins?"

"More or less, sensei. Isamu get back to work and bring us two cups of brewed coffee."

"Why, of course, onii-sama," he gave him a wink that spelled "nice catch" as he went to the counter and brewed their coffee.

"I never knew you had a twin brother."

"I don't talk about myself that much."

"Strange."

"What is, sensei?"

"Just this morning I thought I saw you, but you had gray hair, and seemed to be the type who works in a computer programming company."

"_Oh, hell. The insanity of my life is pouring out to the world,"_ he decided to limit his story by telling a half-lie, "That must have been my other brother, Shinichi."

"But you're twins with our server, Isamu."

"Triplets. I'm the eldest."

"And the Shinichi boy has gray hair."

"Genes. Some far side of the family gets their hair a premature white."

"Ah, interesting."

Before she could press on with more questions, Isamu came back with their coffee, "Here we are, two cups of brewed coffee."

"Isamu-kun right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"A while ago, were you being sarcastic when you showed a high degree of respect to your 'elder' brother?"

"Oh, of course not. Keitaro here," he patted the young man's shoulder , "Is a very good father-figure. Keeps us in line." Another customer called for a server, "Sorry to cut this short, but I have to go back to work."

"Of course. Please don't let me hinder you."

With Isamu out of earshot, Keitaro fired a cautious question, "You seem to be very interested in my life sensei."

"Oh my, did it appear that way? I just became curious all of a sudden."

Keitaro could not shake the feeling of foreboding, _"All this time she's asking me this questions, her tone doesn't even change. Whenever she looks at me or to others it's always without emotion, it's inhuman. I better find myself out of here."_

"By the way Urashima-san, is Narusegawa-san your girlfriend?"

He simply answered, "No."

"Really now?" her tone still remained calm and collected.

"We had something like of 'more than friends, but not yet lovers' thing back then. Never got past that. She found another guy."

"Still rooting for her?"

Irritation found its way on his head, _"Why the hell does that question always come up?"_ to which he answered, "For a time. I had to grow up. You can't go chasing someone who'll never look at you the way you look at them."

"Is that so?" Keitaro swore that a tinge of sadness penetrated the woman's usually cold eyes, "I find that situation terribly similar. In my case, however, he was already married."

He let out a bitter chuckle, "Not everyone gets a happy ending it seems.

"Yes. It seems that is so," she finished her coffee, stood up and left some money on the table, "Thank you for your time Urashima-san."

"No, thank you, sensei. A normal conversation is something I need these days."

"Still, I believe you and Narusegawa-san might have been a happy couple if Fate was more forgiving."

"_Fate? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

"I'll see you again, Urashima-san."

"Sensei, if it's not a bother, could I know your name? You have me at a disadvantage."

"Setsuna. Meio Setsuna."

"Then, I guess...I'll see you again. Meio-sensei."

Setsuna only nodded her head and made her way out of the coffee shop.

Gears of thought began to roll on the young man's head, _"What did she mean by that? Me and Naru. Come to think of it...there was some approval in her voice when she said that. She's very strange. She's a college professor and yet she went to talk to me. I could understand if I was still high school but this is the university. Most professors don't know their students unless they are in their majors. Wait...did she see me and Naru enter the hotel? Was she spying on us? This is bad. I just had a yanderekko and now there's an older woman for a stalker. Am I really this unlucky when it comes to love?"_

Isamu interrupted his musings, "Hey Keitaro, my shift ends ends now. Wanna take the shinkansen back to Hinata with me?"

"Yeah. Sure."

Their trip back was a one-sided conversation. Isamu ranted about the different issues concerning work; the boss, the difficulty of work, the pretty girls, the assholes, he went on and on. Keitaro, for his part, just gave out an "oh" or an "ah" for answers. That was until the topic shifted to what happened earlier in the morning.

"I usually go with Mo-chan. Before I got this work I'm the one who comes by to see her. Not today though."

"She didn't go to class?"

"No," Isamu's face twisted with concern, "After what happened during breakfast, she cried a lot and locked her room. She told me she needed some space."

"Funny, I heard a breakup line about that. Guy tells girl he wants to be an astronaut, because he wants space."

"Try to be serious here. That attitude reminds me of Urashima."

"Yeah, and I'm Urashima too you know. Makoto, you, Haru, Aoi, and Shinichi. One way or another, you're all me."

"Look, I'm not sorry that we're here. Nobody asked to be born."

"I know. We come to this world without our permission and we go out the same way."

"You nearly went out that time. That's why Mo-chan was so upset."

"I'm still alive."

"That's fucking obvious. What I'm talking about was the way it happened. I also got your memories, up to the time you were split up and we were born. I know Mo-chan sent you flying a lot of times. But I never remembered that you coughed up blood."

"Guess there's a first time for everything..."

*****

"Keitaro-kun please you've got to help me!"

"I told you this during lunch yesterday Makoto, I don't want to wake up to these insane mornings everyday. Any signs of trouble, I'll walk out."

Motoko's scream echoed throughout the hallways, "UNHAND ME ISAMU-KUN! I WILL TEACH THIS VILE PERVERT A LESSON!"

Keitaro sighed, "Fuck this. C'mon Makoto, we're almost broke. I don't need another bill for repairs."

"Alright then," the two of them ran back to the dining room. Just in time to find Motoko in the middle of unsheathing her katana.

"Okay, break it up, kanrinin's here."

"Kanrinin-san! Urashima has been spreading lies!"

"Lies my ass! I was telling the truth! The sofa was really wet! And it smelled too!"

"It wasn't us!"

Another sigh came out of Keitaro, "Alright, everyone be honest, I don't mind if you get it on inside the house. But for everyone's sake do it in your rooms. Now, who did that to the sofa?"

"Only Urashima sleeps there!" Motoko spat, "So it must be him, he's just shifting the blame to me and Isamu-kun."

"Me? Hell no! The wet spot on the sofa was so freaking big! I wish I can spurt that many!"

Everyone blushed at Urashima's retort, except for Keitaro who was more annoyed than amused. He turned his attention to Isamu, "Out with it, rock star, was it you and Motoko on the couch?"

"Well..."

"Isamu-kun."

"But Mo-chan we did make out in the sofa. All we have to do is say that, it's not as if we did something else," he turned to Keitaro, "All we did was make out, that must have been our sweat."

"Ha!" Urashima's voice bellowed out with triumph, "So who's the liar now, kendo-girl? You're much worse, you're a hypocrite! Not to mention those pulp novels you were writing."

"THAT'S IT! PREPARE TO DIE URASHIMA!"

From Keitaro's point of view, the world played in a slow-motion sequence. Motoko's sword was finally out of its sheath, and she was preparing to execute a ki-blast. Suddenly, yesterday's talk with his evil clone reminded the kanrinin something.

"_A few weeks ago. I beat up some thugs who were harassing Shinobu while we were out for groceries. Gave them a good one that my hand needed some care."_

Another image flashed in his mind. The black and bloodied index finger taking its time to heal. Or rather, it was not healing. It was only there, swollen and angry.

"_Well, we're not you Original. Come to think of it, Brains wants you to tell something about it."_

With his reflexes taking itself to the limits, Keitaro sprang from where he stood and kicked Urashima out of the ki-blast's path. When he turned to look to Motoko, all he saw was a blinding flash of light.

Darkness did not come.

Instead he just stood there, looking and feeling a little stupid. He still managed to smile as he mouthed off a mild retort, "Damn. Are you still practicing Motoko? That one didn't even send me flying." His attempt for hollow bravado was cut short when his knees lost its strength. He found himself facing the floor with one hand to support himself, the other was on his stomach, clutching on it as if some acidic substance was burning inside.

Blood came out of his mouth through a disgusting cough. This time, his vision faded to black as he kissed the floor in a hard crash. However, there was still some awareness left in him. He heard their voices shouting in panic and confusion. Then there was silence.

*****

"Then you just stood up as if nothing happened. Hell, if I remember you only passed out for a few seconds."

"I have my 'immortality' to thank for."

"Yeah. Hell, Urashima went ballistic when he thought you were killed. Mo-chan would be in stitches right now if Makoto didn't try to stop him."

"By the way what happened to Naru?"

"Eh?"

"Don't give me that 'eh' of yours. I saw her passed out on the floor when I woke up. Then in class she just acted as if nothing happened. Quite disturbing really," Keitaro remembered what happened to them in the hotel, _"Hell, she had a psychotic episode all of a sudden."_

"I dunno with that. Guess she had too much of it that she just blanked it out."

Keitaro only let out a small grunt as an answer. The rest of the train ride became uneventful. A few moments later they found themselves at the front of Hinata Inn. The door slid open and Makoto greeted them as they entered, "Welcome back. By the way we...well, Keitaro-kun you have a visitor."

"Who would that be?"

"Onii-chan. I'm back."

Keitaro looked towards the direction of the voice. It was Kanako.

"Kana-chan. Hey when did you get back?"

"Just a while ago."

"Jeez, you could have left a note or something," he moved towards her and gave her a hug. Somehow, Keitaro felt something was not right. His sister seemed to be squirming away from him.

"Onii-chan, dinner will be ready soon. I'll go help and prepare."

"Okay then," he released her from his hug and watched her disappear towards the kitchen.

"What's up with her?" Isamu asked.

"Yes, that's quite strange," added Makoto, "If memory serves me right, our...your sister would have already jumped on you."

Keitaro furrowed his brows. He could not deny that there was a grain of truth to what his clone said, "I guess she's just tired from her trip. Well, I better change clothes. See you at dinner."

"Well I just hope you do come. And please eat something, Keitaro-kun."

Inside his room, Keitaro tried to understand the sudden change in his sister. He knew she harbored love for him that was inappropriate for siblings, even if they were not related by blood. But that never served to dissuade her, once in a while, she would dress up and seduce him.

Haruka's confused face flickered in his memory.

"_You don't remember?"_

Creases appeared on his face followed, all of them marked with confusion, _"I better get to the bottom of this."_

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

yanderekko – like what Kei said, a psycho-bitch girlfriend from hell, in anime/manga these type of girls are sweet and assuming on the outside but when faced with emotional turmoil, ex., love interest dumps them or chooses another girl, they go psycho and kill

shinkansen – bullet train

oba – I forgot about this in the early chapters, but this means "aunt"

onii – the double "i" signifies a longer pronunciation, means "brother"

chan – this suffix denotes a closeness to certain people, usually used in girl's names, works for boys as well

kun – like chan, but used mostly for boys, though it can be used for girls, but that's quite rare

sama – a very formal suffix, using it towards someone means great respect or perhaps sarcasm

About the physics class, well just correct me if I got the formula wrong. I just ripped that off from an old assignment back in college. In other matters, my story is categorized in the Angst group, so expect a lot of emotional turmoil from our hero in the next chapters. I consider this the start since I killed off the pairing with Naru.

By the way, the Guardian made her appearance here, she's from the Sailormoon series.


	8. Pieces of the Puzzle

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

Chapter 8 is up, more author notes at the end. OOC Kanako here and as usual, enjoy the story and drop a review! Who knows, it could sway me into some new idea on how the story will go.

Wonderbee31: Well, here it is. Hmm, you're not much into Kei/Naru pairings aye?

Abel Nightcross: You're one eager reader. Guess that happened since I saw some mistakes, and corrected it by pulling it out and posting it again.

Halo expert: Yep, this one isn't happy story. And I'm afraid the future chapters might become very depressing, and thus a turn off.

Zeroeye: Sorry, no action sequences in this chapter. But I guess...a very minor one won't hurt.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 8: Pieces of the Puzzle**

A tense silence floated around the dining table.

Keitaro noticed that Kanako was sitting at the far end of the table. _"Strange, Kana-chan used to sit beside me all the time. Well, not that I miss her 'brotherly love' but, she never sat this far away from me. She's even avoiding my eyes. I wonder what's up with her."_

What made dinner stranger was that three girls were absent; Naru, Motoko, and Suu were nowhere to be found, only Shinobu and Kitsune of the Hinata girls were there. All of his clones, except Shinichi were present. Perhaps it was the lack of people that made dinner an almost silent affair, akin to a funeral. Keitaro noticed that even Urashima and Isamu have not yet engaged in verbal combat, something that usually happens every time they get together.

"You're not eating again," Makoto said, "Don't tell me you're not hungry again. Besides, the craziness you usually see is not here."

"True, but a little talk here and there won't hurt," Keitaro took a drag from his cigarette, "Besides, the mood is an appetite killer. What happened here? It's not like somebody got killed you know."

All of them grimaced as they heard the word "killed", Kanako noticed this but did not say anything.

"Fine. Be that way. I'm not that really hungry at all," with that Keitaro stood up and began to go back to his room, "I'll be sleeping early today."

"Hey, Keitaro," it was Isamu, "Can you talk to Mo-chan for me? She still wouldn't budge up. They said she's been there for the whole day."

"I thought she's your girlfriend."

"Yeah, but you're the kanrinin. I mean it's your job to take care of your tenants right?"

"All right. But I won't promise anything good might come out."

"Thanks."

"_Well, what do you know? Even Urashima was dead silent. He usually comes into blows with Isamu. The hell happened with them?"_

Finding himself in front of Motoko's room, he knocked and asked for entry. "Hey, Motoko, Keitaro here. Isamu said you were absent for class, and you've been there forever." He waited for a reply but received none. Sighing to himself, he did not press further, and began to walk away. Before he reached the end of the hall, he heard her door slide open. No words came out, but he knew it was a silent invitation. "Sheesh, make up your mind already," he entered her room and got straight to the point, "So what's the problem?"

Motoko looked at him with eyes, red with crying, her face seemed gaunt from whatever conflict she was having inside. "Please close the door kanrinin-san."

Keitaro complied and went for the extra mile by locking it, making sure that they will not have to deal with any disturbances. He remained standing and looked back to Motoko, waiting for her to say her piece.

She did the same. She only looked at him and in her silence, pleaded for him to talk first.

"Alright, what the hell is up? Everyone down there can't function normally because of you. They know you're not the type to go hikikomori all of a sudden."

"I thought I killed you. I was so afraid."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm still here. Now how about getting down and eating with your boyfriend."

"You're not angry?"

"About what?"

"Please be serious!" Motoko almost shouted in panic, "I-I almost killed you."

Keitaro did not try hide his irritation at the girl's moment of weakness, "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Blah. Satisfied? Blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah. Understood? Now if you don't mind I want to get my sleep. Now go down there and eat."

"What was that supposed to mean?" Mokoto asked flabbergasted.

"Oh I forgot, I must have mouthed off in a different language so you didn't understand. Please, your warrior pride and all. You can't even say sorry for fuck's sake. So that's it. It's over. You're forgiven. Now get over it already."

Motoko whimpered at the sardonic reply, her tears fell again as she gave out an almost silent cry. Keitaro, for his part, just stood there, waiting and watching. He tried hard not to be affected with the pitiful sight in front of him, but little by little, his defenses were deteriorating.

After what passed for almost an eternity, Motoko managed to compose herself again. She stood up and and asked the young man in front of her, "Please be serious. Can you truly forgive this transgression?"

Keitaro knew that she was slowly becoming the usual Mokoto, her choice of words were a dead giveaway, "Yeah, yeah. You and Naru were always a team when it comes to punishing me. When did I ever hit back? Never. I always forgave you, even though some of my 'perversions' were really accidents. Anything else?"

"Why did you save Urashima? He deserved to be punished."

"Oh, because telling the truth is a perversion, isn't it? Don't tell me your definition of perversion changes if its with Isamu."

"Isamu-kun is my kareshi, we never do perverted things."

"_Oh wow, here we go,"_ Keitaro decided that staying sardonic was the best option to straighten her out, "Oh, okay. You're only making out, like Isamu said, right? So as in kissing, caressing, petting, and sweating all over the couch is not perverted? Most people do it in their rooms and have the decency to at least tone down their voice."

"You...pervert!" Motoko went for her sword and assumed an offensive stance.

Keitaro simply gave her a bored look and unloaded, "Oh good. It's been a long time since I paid the stratosphere a visit," he walked closer to her, unmindful of the danger, "Come here kendo-girl, you're out of practice since your Isamu-kun came here. Maybe you need retraining, eh? At the count of three, you do that patented sword strikes of yours. What will you use," he paused and gasped for some effect, "Messatsu Zanku Zanmasen?"

Motoko could only stare at him, eyes and mouth wide open.

"Well? I'm waiting..."

Regaining her voice, she then asked him, "How did you remember that? You're not even a Shinmeiryuu disciple."

"You tend to remember when you're on the receiving end, you know. So when is my departure?"

She stammered for a while before taking a step back, dropping her katana to the floor, she sat down once more, and began to cry again—this time it was more pronounced.

"Motoko? What's wrong?" Kietaro's sardonic tone evaporated in an instant, "Hey stop crying, it's not good for your eyes." Concern for the heiress overwhelmed the kanrinin as he quickly knelt down beside her. He was surprised when Motoko rested her head in his chest, reminding him of Naru and the love hotel scenario.

"I'm so sorry."

"Well, that wasn't so hard wasn't it? I said it's okay right? No need to cry again. Come on, stand up," he hugged her to give a little comfort, and was surprised a lot more when she did the same. _"This is disturbingly familiar. Problem is, she got a sword, I might get more than a choke here, better be careful."_

"Do you remember?"

"What? Your techniques?"

"No, you baka," he felt a tinge of relief at the insult, knowing she still have not yet lapsed into full depression, "The time when ane-ue came and defeated me. The time when I was so lonely because I thought I would never be able to hold a sword again. You were there for me, remember?"

"_Okay, it's official. This is becoming a repeat of what happened earlier afternoon."_

"You gave me hot chocolate and a hug..."

"_Okay the chocolate I remember, you even spat at me because you forgot that I told you that it was hot. The hug...I don't think I remember giving you a hug...wait...I think I did. Then to control my perversion I had to freaking stab my face with clothespins."_

"Isamu-kun never gives me hugs like this..."

"_Oh come on! What am I? A Love Doctor? I better look for a relationship councilor for these two."_

"Sometimes I wish he could just give me hug, instead of his kisses."

"You don't like his kisses?"

"Please don't misunderstand. I love my Isamu-kun and I'll never get tired of his kisses. But sometimes I want more than just a kiss."

"So you haven't done it yet, right? Well just tell him."

Motoko blushed at the suggestion, "N-no way. Isn't the man supposed to take initiative? And the thing I wanted was a hug. N-n-not really that. We already talked about it, we'll be waiting until we get married."

"_Following tradition to the bitter end, eh?"_ Pulling himself away from Motoko, Keitaro took a deep breath and said, "If all you're going to ask for is a hug, then go ahead and ask him. There is no shame in asking for one, besides it's already the Heisei Era, I mean society is a little bit more open you know."

"But---"

"No buts Motoko. Us guys aren't psychic. Saying it straight once in a while is the best way to go. You can't just act around waiting for your boyfriend to pick up your signals."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Her eyes glittered with newfound confidence at the kanrinin's words. She quickly stood up, katana in hand and opened the door. Keitaro felt a little nervous at seeing her wield the blade once more, so before she could disappear downstairs, he let off a request, "Motoko, before you go, I want you to promise me something."

"Of course, anything as long it's not perverted," she said with a smile.

"Try to control your temper. And if you really have to hit someone, do it with a bokken, and try not to use your techniques if you can."

Motoko looked confused at his request, "Kanrinin-san, that's like telling me not to use my sword anymore."

"Listen to me carefully," Keitaro explained, "Except for Urashima, did you ever hit any of them?"

"No, only Urashima. If my memory serves, I think I only hit him once or twice for the past few weeks. Most of the time, Isamu-kun holds me back. Or Shinobu was always with him, so I become reluctant in using my skills in fear of hurting her."

"Only Urashima?"

"Well, the others just do their own business in peace. Besides Urashima is evil, if it wasn't for Shinobu he would still be in a rampage right now."

Keitaro sighed, "Alright, listen here. They are not me. Okay? If you use your techniques, you might seriously hurt them. I guess I don't have to remind you of what happened earlier this morning."

Motoko became dead silent, Keitaro knew that she must be playing the scene again in her head, "Motoko, snap out of it. Don't concern yourself with that anymore. What is done, is done. And like I said, I forgive you. No grudges coming from me."

A sad smile appeared on the swordswoman's face, "You are truly kind, kanrinin-san. Too kind," her eyes showed him concern and compassion, "Whoever the girl of your promise is, she'll be very lucky having you." Motoko bowed at him and went downstairs to join the others.

For a moment, Keitaro could not find any strength to stand up. Memories of the playground, the sandbox, the promise, and the girl swirled inside his head. His eyes began to water, but he quickly wiped them dry, _"The promised girl? She's gone. Lost forever. Naru is deeply in love with Makoto, so I let her go. Maybe if the situation was a little normal and I lost her Kentaro's wooing I might have had an easier time dealing with the hurt. But I lost to a clone, a fragment of me. And it hurts a lot to think that she only wants a single side of you, not the whole package."_

Finding himself at his room, Keitaro turned off the lights and threw himself at his futon. Alone and in the dark, he found some solace, a place to hide his emotions. _"One by one, you're all leaving me, eh? First it was Naru, then you followed Motoko. And here I am, the ever pathetic loser helping you come to terms with your feelings, guiding you to your happiness while sacrificing mine." _

"_Come to think of it, I entertained thoughts of me and you getting married, walking side by side with our future children, not really caring if she was taller than me. Ha, oh Motoko, I remembered that time when you asked me if getting married to you was such a bad idea. I never got to give you an answer, right? Well, here is my answer, even if you're not here, I'll answer your question. No, getting married to you might not have been such a bad idea. Something is telling me that maybe we might have worked it out."_

Keitaro buried his face in his pillow and blanket as he continued his mental self-flagellation. _"But that wouldn't be fair right? Thinking of the 'what if I and Motoko got together' scenario. It's like treating her as a backup plan, in case things didn't go too well with Naru. But...people do that don't they? When they lose someone they love, they try to find another to fill in, sometimes to the point where the person is almost like the one they lost. No, I would not be that kind of person. For almost as long as I can remember, I never had a girlfriend. I can't say that it wasn't my fault. I must admit that I blundered a lot of times, with my clumsiness, inherent stupidity, and childhood dream. I guess it's time...time to wake up and make peace with reality."_

"_You can't have everything in life. Not every dream will come true, or worse, none of your dreams may come true at all. I have to move on. If the girls have my clones, then I guess I'll have to find another. I will make her the girl of my dreams, the girl of my promises, and together, I'll try to find the happiness that is so fleeting."_

Tired from his introspection, the young man allowed the darkness to cradle him to a black and dreamless sleep.

*****

"_Hmm...so soft...wait? I only got one pillow...and it's on my head. Then what the hell is this?"_ Keitaro opened his eyes and was shocked to discover that the soft thing he held was none other than Kanako's breast.

"WHAT THE HELL? KANA-CHAN!" Keitaro quickly propelled himself to a nearby wall.

"Onii-chan, you're too loud," Kanako mumbled as she sat herself up and wiped her eyes.

"What are you doing in my bed? Did you sneak here last night? I'm sure I locked the door."

Kanako blushed out of embarrassment, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to sleep with you the I picked the lock.," she smiled and looked at him with joyful eyes, "You're not crying out her name anymore."

"What?"

"You don't talk in your sleep anymore. Almost every night I hear you saying Naru, Toudai, and the promise."

"You watch me in my sleep?" he felt an invasion of privacy at the revelation.

"Well, I'm your sister, onii-chan. I can watch you in your sleep, or even sleep with you."

Keitaro let out a nervous chuckle, "Okay...but you're...growing up now. You should sleep alone, in your own futon, and in your own room."

"But, onii-chan," she crawled to him slowly, eyes brimming with love that Keitaro could do without, "I feel so lonely if I'm not with you. Those girls gave you up right?" her voice dripped with a little venom, "Your clones. They took your place with those girls. Now, maybe you and me can finally fulfill our promise with each other, running this inn."

"Kana-chan we talked about this before. You're my sister. I don't see you that way."

Her soft eyes flared with anger, "Why? Don't tell me you're still rooting for her?"

"_That question again. This is getting really irritating,"_ he simply answered, "No, Kana-chan. Not anymore. But that doesn't mean I'm that desperate. Look, you're only a sister for me, blood or no blood, you're my sister. Okay?"

"Onii-chan, you're so mean. I'm here for you," her eyes watered, "And yet you turn me away."

"I'm sorry Kana-chan," he reached her to and placed his hand on her cheek to comfort her.

What happened next was something Keitaro never expected. Kanako suddenly slapped his face. She quickly stood up, reeling from the shock, "Onii-chan, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." She quickly bolted out of his room.

Keitaro placed a hand on his cheek, he could not deny that the slap hurt. The physical pain did not bother him, rather it was the shock of Kanako slapping him. _"And her eyes...I never saw her look at me like that. She was so angry. I better talk to her later and straighten this out."_ His head then shot up when another realization came to mind, _"Today's Wednesday. Shinichi should be back by now."_

Racing downstairs, he was disappointed when he found out that his intellectual clone has not yet returned.

"Looking for someone Original?"

"Urashima, has Shinichi called yet?"

"Nope."

"Damn."

"Keitaro-kun, would you like to join us for breakfast?"

"I'm not that hungry. Anyway, Makoto, did you see where Kana-chan went?"

"No idea."

"Damn it, I better check the roof."

Keitaro raced out, leaving the others behind.

"M-Makoto-kun, don't you t-think w-we should have told him where Kana-chan is?"

"What the? Hey, what the hell is the twerp talking about social worker?"

"The less people who know, the better."

"B-but b-brother looked worried."

"And for someone who's supposed to be kind, you're a freaking liar. And they say I'm evil."

Makoto sighed, "Look my hands are tied, Haruka-san would kill me if I told him. Besides, for the sake of keeping the peace, white lies serve some purpose."

Urahima mumbled his dissatisfaction and Haru stared down on his food, feeling guilty of lying to the kanrinin.

On the roof, Keitaro called out, "Kana-chan, you here? What's up with you? Look, if it's about what happened earlier, I'm not angry."

Only the hanged clothes answered, with their soft sounds of threads pounded by the morning breeze.

He called and called out again. Still, no reply.

Sighing, he gave up his search and went downstairs, there he found the girls and clones ready to leave the inn.

"Keitaro-kun, don't you have classes today?" Makoto asked.

"No, I don't. I kept my Wednesdays free. In any case, girls you'll be late for class and boys, your jobs."

"Sheesh, Original, your starting to act more like a father than a brother you know."

"And where are you going Urashima?" Motoko asked with suspicion.

"I'm going out for groceries after I walk Shinobu-chan to the station."

Everyone, except Keitaro, became silent with shock. "Well, Urashima I'd trust you'd do nothing to her. Just come back here quickly okay?"

"Sure thing, Orginal. Besides, kendo-girl here would be watching me."

"Okay, then off with you people. By the way...where's Suu-chan? I don't see her here. Not even last night."

"Suu-chan is down with the flu, Keitaro-kun. I already checked up on her. Nothing really serious, she just needs a good rest."

"All right then," Keitaro said, feeling a little bit relieved, "Don't get yourselves late."

Keitaro watched them leave one by one. Sighing again, he sat down on the living room couch, trying to make sense of the craziness that was his life. The clones, Jimmy, Naru's confession, and the thing that Shinichi wanted to talk to him about; he failed to notice that the hours went by so fast.

"Keitaro-kun, are you alright?"

"What?" he asked as he found his kind clone sitting beside him, "Don't you have work to do?"

"We just finished lunch, so I have some time to spare. We thought that you didn't want to eat so we didn't bother you. You've been sitting there since morning, you know."

"Didn't notice the time. Anyway, anything you want to talk about? I just hope it's not about me eating again. I just don't feel hungry these days."

"No, I want to talk about something else entirely."

"Specifically?"

"Na-chan...or well, Naru."

"I don't mind you calling her Na-chan or anything Makoto. Anyway, what's this about? You two are an item, right? I hope you don't have much trouble with her."

"She told me what happened between the two of you yesterday afternoon."

Keitaro became silent and waited for his clone to continue.

"I just want to ask you...did you two do anything together?"

"What did she tell you?"

"Please don't answer my question with a question."

"Nothing. We did nothing. Naru stayed loyal to you if that's you want to know."

It was now Makoto's turn to be silent. Keitaro noticed that there was some doubt in his eyes, so he reassured him, "Nothing happened between the two us, I stopped her before everything could go postal."

"I see."

"You don't believe me?"

"Well..."

"You should trust her. I think Haruka told me of a fight between you two."

"Yes, I know that you might not need to know, but she said your name one time."

"I know she told me."

"I became...jealous. Never knew I'd feel that way."

"That's just normal."

"You see, at first I only cared for Na-chan. Nothing really romantic, but I somewhat got stuck on her I guess."

"Urashima was right to give you the nickname 'social worker', you're someone who cares for everyone. But I guess from time to time you do feel a little bit insecure. After all, you're not, Isamu, who is my confident side."

"Yes, that's true. Keitaro-kun, are you still...you know Na-chan and all."

Keitaro sighed, "I can't say I would be able to forget her soon, but if it's any assurance, I won't snatch her anytime from you. Just be sure to take good care of her, or I might change my mind."

"Thank you Keitaro-kun."

"Yeah, anytime. Consider this some sort of blessing to whatever relationship you want to pursue," he paused for a while, thinking of another matter, "By the way, any news on Shinichi? I've been itching to talk to the guy."

"None, but I have some about Kanako."

"Eh? Okay, what's up with her?"

"Well, Haruka-san might have told you that she was gone for some time. It's not the whole truth really. A few days ago, I heard them talking. Kanako wanted to stay at the teahouse for a while. She helps there actually, but she doesn't get out much. It's also the place where she eats and sleep with Haruka-san."

"You mean my sister has been hiding from me? Why?"

"I don't know. But please, don't tell Haruka-san that I told you. She'll hang me for this."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Seeing his clone out, Keitaro could only wonder why his aunt and sister would act that way. Not wanting to dwell too much on it, he decided that he needed to soak for a while. There in the individual baths, he tried to ponder once more about his situation, but was interrupted by Urashima's call. "Oi, Original, Shinichi's here."

"Alright I'll be down in a second."

Doing a quick dive in and dive out, he got off the barrel, toweled himself, and had a change of clothes. He found Shinichi waiting for him in the living room. He quickly fired his question, "Okay, what's up? I've seen something strange about Urashima a day or two ago. Something about our 'immortality'."

"We better talk in my room, Keitaro."

"Come to think of it, I don't remember you having a room. Haruka-obasan never mentioned any."

Shinichi produced what seemed to be a remote control and nonchalantly pushed a button. The floor beneath them opened up instantly and Keitaro found himself screaming curses when they both fell down on a soft airbag.

"What the hell? And I thought Suu-chan already had a secret lab!"

"I have my own. Anyway, I better get straight to the point since you don't like me rambling too much. Come on, follow me."

Keitaro did as he was told and followed his genius clone. After a dozen of metal sliding doors, he found himself staring at a very large computer screen.

"Computer," Shinichi said, "Open the findings under the filename 'DNA Tests' and show all relevant data gathered."

The screen flickered and displayed tons of graphs, equations, and many other mathematical and scientific formulas. They made no sense to the kanrinin, it only made him more confused.

"What I wanted to talk to you about was this," Shinichi pointed to one of the graphs, "There had been a significant change in all of our molecular structures for the past few days."

"And that means what?

"First I'll show you this," he typed a few words in the keyboard and screen changed its display; it now showed what appeared to be wavelengths, "These are our aural patterns. It might not seem so much to you. But they changed for the past few days."

"What do you mean?"

"I did a lot of aural pattern scans about us, I found out that for the past few days we were quite static. Our personalities were very predictable. It is only know that we are starting to change."

"Okay, Shinichi, I'm not getting any of this."

"Simply put, we are slowly but surely developing our personalities. It's quite slow, but we are changing. I can tell from experience. During work, my temper went off because of my coworker's stupidity. Something I would have never expected from my usually calm demeanor."

"Well, you're not alone. I noticed Urashima, despite being described as evil, is slowly starting to mellow."

"Yes, that is true. His aural pattern was the fastest to change. But there is something else troubling me."

"What?"

"This," he then typed another set of words in the computer and the display changed back to the graphs, "Our DNA scans."

"What about it?"

"You have any ideas about cloning Keitaro?"

"Not much. Only that if you I was cloned in a 'normal' way you should be babies. Not grown up guys."

"That is true. But there is something else. Truth to be told I was expecting massive cell degeneration on our part. I did numerous tests, but they were all inconclusive."

"Meaning?"

"Nothing is happening to us. Our bodies are perfectly normal. Which is very strange since clones are not supposed to be that way."

"Shouldn't you be happy?"

"Well, here's something else. Our DNA did change, but basically they are still patterned after you, except for one strain."

A slight pause came from Shinichi and before he could continue Keitaro asked him, "Our 'immortality' strain?"

"Yes. I hope you don't mind, but I took some samples from you too. It seems you retained it all."

"I think...I won't ask how you did that. In any case, what's so important about it?"

"From the findings, I concluded that you're the only one who is 'immortal'. Tell you what, you ever noticed Suu being down these days?"

"Well she has flu today. But yeah, I remember her saying that she wanted to test her MechaTama, and I'm wondering why it hasn't showed up yet."

"Well," Shinichi adjusted his glasses, "I installed some EMP blasters all throughout the house."

"You did what?"

"I did it for all of us. Don't worry, those blasters don't fire anything deadly to humans and I configured them in a way that it would only affect the MechaTamas." he slowly unbuttoned his shirt and showed Keitaro a big a circular scar in his chest.

"What the hell is that? How did you..." the kanrinin's words trailed off, as he remembered the same thing with Urashima.

"One of Suu's MechaTamas did that to me, point blank plasma blast to the chest. If it wasn't for the power-armor I was wearing, it might have been worse." He buttoned up his shirt again, "I wish I could tell you more, but that's all I can tell you without using intellectual jargon."

*****

Keitaro held the single Lucky that Jimmy gave to him. The cigarette stick already had some small brown spots on it due to the stale air inside the strongbox.

"_Well here goes. After what Shinichi told me...I guess I now know what Jimmy wanted me to know. My clones are changing, is this supposed to be good or bad? Damn, somehow, I think I'm going to regret getting comfortable with them."_

He lit it up and took a drag, coughing at the unfamiliar taste, "Damn, I wonder how he can smoke this, the flavor doesn't agree with me at all."

On his table was his mobile phone, ready to accept a call.

A minute or two passed, and it was still silent, "Come on Jimmy, I know you're a magician. I know I wasn't so drunk that night just to imagine you."

It still remained silent and unmoved.

"Oh come on! Ring already!"

As soon as he said those words, the phone rang immediately. This surprised Keitaro, who could only look dumbstruck at his cellphone. When it already rang for the third time, he took it and cautiously pressed the 'accept call' button, barely whispering, "Jimmy?"

"Yeah, it's me. Got your call," the magician's tone was shaky.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Jimmy's voiced calmed a little, "We better meet up at the same bar. See you at McGinty's."

"Wait! I don't remember where it was!"

"You don't? What the hell...oh, of course."

"Of course what?"

"Nothing. Anyway, you don't remember how to go there right? Listen carefully. Once you get outside your house, just keep repeating 'McGinty's' over and over your head, okay? Be careful not to talk out loud while walking unless you want people looking at you as if you lost your head."

"Okay, then. See you at there."

"By the way, Taro, you think you already figured it out?"

"I think so."

"That would have to do. See you there Taro." and with that, the other line went dead.

"_I guess I better get going then,"_ Keitaro stood up and looked at his clothes, _"Hmm...I don't look so good in these."_

*****

Keitaro came out his room wearing a black dress suit, accented with a red tie. As he passed by the living room, he could not help at feeling a little bit uneasy at the stares everyone was giving him. _"Better give them a cold shoulder, I need to hurry. The questions can come later."_

Before they could say anything, Keitaro quickly wore his shoes and and brown topcoat.

"I'll be late. Don't wait up."

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

hikikomori – some sort of psychological problem where people lock themselves up, not wanting to get out

kareshi – the online dictionary told me it was the Japanese for boyfriend

Messatsu Zanku Zanmasen – Annihilation Air and Evil-Cutting Flash, said to Motoko's strongest move

bokken – a wooden sword used in training

Motoko, as I observed in the fanfics here, is the most popular non-canon paring for Kei. I guess I just needed to kill that idea, and the same time make Kei ponder on how he will move on. Also, Makoto's talk with Keitaro basically puts the last nail in the coffin for a Kei/Naru pair. I think I said this before, but then just a little reminder, **watch out for the dialogue. **That's all. Cheers people, see you next chapter.


	9. Smoke Signals

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

Chapter 9 here, quite a fast one eh? Jimmy is here again, investigating. This chapter serves as some sort of a "bridge" and happens on the same day on the half part chapter eight. Hmm, reminds me, I better make a time-line for the chapters, so the continuity won't be lost. Cheers, people! Try to drop a word or two if you can.

Abel Nightcross: Chapter 10 would deal with that.

windybreeze: Glad to hear that, by the way, you're also writing a fanfic right? How about an update there?

Halo expert: He'll be okay, Kei got Jimmy for that.

Zeroeye: Your comment on chapter 7 got my creative juices to put a minor action scene in this chapter. Not sure, if it lives up to your expectation though.

Wonderbee31: It will mean a **lot.**

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 9: Smoke Signals**

Not a single ray of light invaded Jimmy's room.

In the cover of darkness, the magician, with a pouch of iodized salt in hand, carefully traced a circle on the cold concrete floor. He then went to his table and carried a human skull, adorned with numerous symbols and glyphs, along with letters a long dead alphabet. Stepping inside the circle, he made sure that he did not break the layout of salt and sat down on his knees. Leveling the grim piece of bone to his face, he chanted his spell, and gazed into the blackness of two empty eye sockets.

"_I hate doing this."_

He found himself looking in front of a sturdy oak door. To his left and right, were several houses devoid of light. It was already night in that part of the world, the simple folk were all sleeping. Only the livestock dared to make noise at such time in that quiet rural town.

"_Guess there's no using in knocking."_

Jimmy nonchalantly walked through the closed door. Only a small candle gave light to the otherwise empty house. He looked around, and saw the boy that he needed to talk to reading a book. Without any preamble, Jimmy greeted him, "Hey there Edward, long time no see. You still into alchemy?"

A startled yelp escaped from the blond, long-haired boy as he turned around and saw the magician. "Jimmy? What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"I was hoping that I'd be the one asking questions."

"Oh, sure, you break into my house and you even have the gall to tell me that."

Jimmy pointed to the door with his thumb, "You might want to take a look."

"Well," Edward looked to where the door is and asked, "Okay how did you really get in?"

"Projection. I'm in Japan right now. Look, I've got no time to explain. Leaving my body like that is as dangerous as driving while drunk."

Edward, turned his chair around and sat down facing Jimmy. "Looks like whatever it is, it has to be serious. You're not the type to use magic just like that. Anything I should know first?"

"The less you know, the safer you'll feel."

"Damn. I guess you're telling the truth when you said that this is serious. So, what answers do you need?"

"Homunculi. Describe them to me in the most simplest terms."

"Eh?" a look of confusion appeared on the boy's face, "Jimmy, for a mage like you, that request seems pretty stupid."

"Look, shorty, I haven't got much time."

"Shorty? Take a look at yourself! You're just as tall as me and you're already in your thirties."

"Alright, alright," Jimmy growled in frustration, "Look I know homunculi are artificial humans and all, but tell me. Is it possible for them to have a soul?"

"Eh? Of course not. Were you really being serious when you asked me?"

"Yes, alchemist, I am serious," he then pointed to his face, "And this is my serious look."

"Fine, fine. I'm not sure what you're really getting at, but it's impossible for a homunculus to have a soul, they're nothing but base objects infused with a magic. They may look like a human, talk like a human, but Jimmy, they're not human."

"Base objects you say?"

"Yes. Wood, metal, stone, and even plastic can be used to created a homunculus. All it takes is for the alchemist to be quite an artist to shape them in whatever form they like."

"What about human body parts?"

"Humans? Oh come on..." the alchemist's words trailed off for a few seconds, as a terrified look crossed over his face, "Jimmy, don't tell me someone attempted to do a 'Soul Stitch'."

"Like I said, it'll be better for you if you don't know that much. Anyway, what about human bodies as an...ingredient for homunculi?"

Edward coughed a little due to his nervousness, "That's disgusting. No sane alchemist would even think of that. We only use inanimate objects as components. To use the human body for such experiments...is a travesty. A sacrilege," the alchemist's eyes then hinted a little anger, "Jimmy, you didn't have to come here to ask me that. Just look at yourself, you are a user in that school of thought."

"Oh, wow," the magician sighed in disappointment, "So much for logic to prove your point. Look, just because I dabble in necromancy does not necessarily make me a necromancer. Besides, you're way too off, I don't deal in reanimation. Have a hard time trying to stomach guts blown to pieces you know."

"Only necromancers would dare violate a body, you know that very well Jimmy. And to stitch a human soul to a corpse? That is madness, utter madness."

"I didn't say anything about corpses you know."

"Well, let me tell you this, using human body parts to create a homunculi is not alchemy. The problem, most of the time, is that there is always a need to name something. Maybe you just misunderstood something Jimmy. Sometimes, the term 'homunculus' and 'homunculi' are used in other works. In the realm of alchemy, they are just simple constructs whose form is decided by their creator's."

"What about essence?"

"What about it? Homunculi do not have souls. One can implant them with a memory, or a personality, but those would be fake, untrue. Their behavior would lapse into a very predictable pattern. And if the patter is disrupted, they might go berserk."

"Damn, this was more complicated than I thought."

"Why? And besides, what gave you the idea that a homunculus can have a soul?"

"Nothing, it's just that some events coincided with some other events. Anyway, thanks for you help, Edward."

"Wait Jimmy, listen up."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"If ever a thing like that existed, I mean, that homunculus with a soul, then it would not be a homunculus anymore."

"Because, a homunculus is nothing but a soulless construct. Okay, I got it already. What will you call that thing then?"

"I don't know. It will be something else entirely."

Jimmy could only ball his fists at the alchemist's answer, somehow, deep inside his head, a growing suspicion seemed to be proving true. "Thanks, Edward. I guess that's all I need."

"You're welcome Jimmy."

Little by little, the magician's image began to fade leaving the alchemist alone, asking himself and wondering, whatever it is that Jimmy might be facing.

*****

Jimmy found himself inside his room once more. Putting the skull away and cleaning the floor, he tried to console himself with his newfound discovery, _"No, they're not homunculi...then what are they? To say that they are...no impossible. Because if they are what I think they are...where does that leave Taro?"_

He went outside his apartment and noticed that the sun was already crimson and ready to sleep, _"It took me that long?"_ From the corner of his eye, he noticed a piece of white paper on the ground with a cellphone as its paperweight. _"Eh? What's this?"_ picking up the objects, he noticed that the mobile phone was not real, _"It's only a toy,"_ he then looked at the paper, and noticed that letters slowly appeared for him to read, _"Salt and sulfur. Bring the toy. What the hell? Wait...this might be Yuko. Well, I guess no harm in following her advice."_ Going back to his room, he took the pouch of iodized salt lying on the floor, _"Now, for sulfur...oh shit, I forgot, I wasn't able to buy one. Better go find an old-school pharmacy for that."_

Outside his apartment and into the streets, the magician could not help but brood over the things he now know. Not to forget, was the cryptic message and the toy that was left for him, which he found very odd, _"Why not a real cellphone? Well, it's the Witch of Dimensions I'm dealing her with. Guess no matter what, there's no way I will ever understand her."_

He felt someone tug at his back and when he turned to look, he found a very depressing high-school girl looking at him. Jimmy, however, noticed that something was wrong with her, _"What made her notice me? I didn't cast my spell, but my clothes are enough so I won't attract attention,"_ he then asked, "You got a problem with me?"

She remained silent, her beady eyes still giving him an eerie look.

"Hey---" he was interrupted by the jolly ring of the toy, unsure of the next logical step, Jimmy treated it as a real one, and answered the call. "You got my attention."

Static fiercely ruptured the other line, he could only hear fragments of Yuko's voice, "Girl...eat...you."

"Eh? Come again Yuko, the girl will eat me? Ha, what's with the double meanings?"

"...run...die...run..."

"What the hell?" Jimmy turned his attention to the girl, and saw that her eyes were now a soulless void. Taking a step back, the magician slowly reached inside his coat pocket and took a handful of salt from the pouch. Without any warning, he splashed the salt into the girl's face, making her shriek in a very pained voice. She fell down on her knees, then a pair of bird-like wings violently sprouted on her back.

"Angel's wings? No...you're...no angel." With Yuko's advice finally making sense, Jimmy bolted out as fast as he could. He heard another shriek come from the girl's direction, this time, it was not even human.

"_Salt and sulfur! Damn it Witch, if I wasn't so afraid of you, I would've kissed you for giving me that clue!"_

He looked back and realized he just made a mistake. The monster was now totally out. From what he could see, it was a winged oblong shaped creature with numerous tentacles serving as its hands. Jimmy sensed that the creature was very hungry, and needed to eat something or someone that has a connection to magic—someone like him. It came as no surprise to the magician that only he can notice the monster.

"_Oh hell, there's no fucking way I'll get in the pharmacy at a short time. I better improvise."_

Panic all over his head, the magician did not notice that two young and bespectacled men were in front of him, ready for a heads-on collision. The inevitable happened and they found themselves on the concrete, groaning in pain.

"Damn, that hurts. Hey, Shirai, you alright?"

"Shucks, Haitani, you're such a Mr. Obvious, of course not. My ass hurts a lot."

"The two of you," Jimmy growled, "Where is the nearest 7-11?"

"How about an apology first mister?" the duo said in unison.

"Damn it, I got no time for this!" the magician looked at his back and saw that the creature was still at a distance, but was getting closer by every passing second. He turned his attention to the two boys once more, removed his glasses, gave them a deadly stare and in a much deadlier tone, commanded, "Look into my eyes."

Both of them fell into a trance, and in a monotone voice, the two of them mouthed, "Yeesss...maasssteeer?

"_Oh, great, they're idiots,"_ not wanting to waste his time, Jimmy asked them again, "The nearest 7-Eleven, where is it?"

"Threee..streeets...straaiiight...aheeaaad, tuurn...to the riight," Shirai started.

Haitani finished, "Twoo...streets...aafteer, tuurn...to the leeft."

"Okay then, wake up you two," the magician snapped his fingers and then ran off.

"What the hell happened?" the duo asked each other as they reeled from a slight headache.

Following the directions given to him, Jimmy found himself in front of a store that had the familiar colors of orange, green, and red; however, what was written on the sign was a "Seven & I Holdings", not 7-Eleven. _"The hell? Fuck this, no time to lose."_

As he got inside, he noticed that the creature did not follow; it circled outside the streets instead, waiting—waiting for him. _"This is bad, if that thing gets starved, it might eat just anyone else. Like the fuck I'm gonna let that happen."_ He immediately searched the aisles, frustration taking over him as it seemed that what he was looking for was not there.

"Sir, do you mind?" an irate voice said behind him, it was a store employee, frowning at the sight of messed up and scattered goods.

"No I don't fucking mind," Jimmy took him by the collar and growled, "Sulfur soap. Dr. Wong's Sulfur Soap. You got any? TELL ME!"

"I-I don't know any Dr. Wong."

"THE FUCK? DR. WONG'S SULFUR SOAP! MAN, IT'S A FREAKING BRAND NAME!"

Shaken by the level of the magician's voice, the store-clerk pointed to a nearby rack, "There! There! I just don't know if it's a Dr. Wong, but it's sulfur soap."

He quickly released the store-clerk and grabbed on of the soaps lying in the rack. Making a mad dash to the cashier, he payed no heed to the curses of the other customers who told him to get in line. He threw a wad of bills, whose value was higher than the soap's intended price, and ran out of the store.

Resuming their deadly game of "tag and it", Jimmy made several random turns, with no specific destination in mind. He regretted this decision when he saw the result of his last turn. _"Fuck. Just like Hollywood."_

A gray wall menaced with graffiti was staring at him. The magician knew that there was no use in trying to scale the wall, his lung and legs were too tired. Another screech pierced the air.

Jimmy turned around and saw that the creature was hovering just a few feet above the ground, slowly getting closer and closer, just like a predator closing in for the kill. Taking a step back, he tore the plastic wrap of the soap, "Come here boy, I got a real good treat for you."

Excited by the magician's voice, the monster flew up high to gain some momentum and made a vicious dive, giving out a nerve-wracking screech. For his part, Jimmy simply pointed the bar of soap towards what could be his impending death, and shouted, "HELLFIRE!"

An infernal jet of flame exploded from Jimmy's hands, disintegrating the soap of sulfur. The creature, in its high speed, failed to evade the raging inferno, and was burned in a sea of red. He walked towards the charred remains of the monster to examine it, _"Damn, what the fuck was that? Even the most fucked up sorcerers I met weren't that careless to let their pets run loose like this. As much as I hate it, I better pay the Witch a visit. But before that," _the magician reached inside his coat and took out a pack of Lucky Strike, _"A victory smoke."_

Unknown to him, a second winged creature was up in the air, too high for him to notice. It gave out the same inhuman shriek, which caught Jimmy's attention as he was lighting the cigarette, "Oh, fuck me sideways already!"

It made a dive towards him, the magician in his panic could only run towards the dead end, fighting hard to climb the smooth and slippery cement wall. Behind him, he could feel that death was fast approaching. Thinking fast, he took out the pouch of salt inside his coat and sprayed some of its contents at the monster. Not much damage was done to the creature, but it retreated when the salt crystals touched its hide.

Making the best out of his situation, Jimmy traced a line of salt on the ground. He then connected his left and right thumbs and index fingers to each other to form a triangle and began to chant a dead and long forgotten prayer.

Still determined to make a meal out of the magician, the monster flapped its wings and resumed the onslaught. However, an invisible barrier hindered its attack and sent it flying back a little. Again, it did not pay heed, and rammed itself once again, only for the same result to happen once more. Deep inside the creature's base instincts, it knew it was winning. It was only a matter of time before the magician becomes exhausted. Jimmy knew it too, he was already having difficulties breathing and was sweating to the point that he could be bleeding.

A wracking cough of exhaustion escaped from the magician's throat as he fell down on his knees, whatever energy he had seemed to be depleted. Looking over at the creature's direction, he saw its tentacles twitching with hungry anticipation. _"What the hell is up with this tentacle monster anyway? Fuck, Kurt Cobain was right. Nobody dies a virgin...life fucks us all. And I'm gonna get it from this freak."_

Jimmy closed his eyes and muttered something that could be called a prayer. But just he was about to give up, he heard a cold female voice whisper, "Dead Scream."

Despite his closed eyes, a violent flash of garnet nearly blinded the magician, making him rant out a few more expletives before he regained his composure.

"You were a hair's breath away from certain doom, Sorcerer."

"Yeah, for a second I thought I was gonna be dinner. Thanks a bunch Guardian," Jimmy stood up and looked at his savior. It was Meio Setsuna, dressed in a black accented sailor uniform, Garnet Rod in hand.

"My time with you must be brief."

"And here I am, feeling a little bit generous to treat you out for coffee. Well, suit yourself."

"I can only hope that you can be still serious after I come to you with ill news."

"Eh? What kind?"

"A war is coming."

"Wars happen every time, Guardian. Tell me something new."

"What I speak of is a war, magical in nature."

Jimmy's face was assailed with worry, "Yeah, and that's why you and your gang are around right? Come on, how many times have you saved the world without people even knowing? Sometimes, I think you need a medal."

"Am I right Sorcerer?"

"Left about what?"

"That you are afraid."

"What made you say so?"

"Your flippant act is your undoing."

Taking a deep breath, the magician answered, "Who the hell won't be afraid of fucking magical war? But as far as I'm concerned, I'm not a soldier. Count me out."

"The Witch of Dimensions would want to talk to you."

"After I buy some sulfur---" the discussion was interrupted by the ringing of the toy cellphone. Jimmy answered it immediately, "Okay, what the hell is going on here Yuko? I didn't sign up for a fucking war."

The other line was now free of static, "Calm down Jimmy, and please, honor my request the other day concerning your language."

"Sorry Yuko, a few minutes ago I almost became dinner."

"Apology accepted Jimmy," the witch replied in a singsong voice, "Please finish your discussion with Setsuna-san. After that, I will call you. Bye-bye!" with that said, the line went dead.

Turning his attention to Setsuna, Jimmy then asked, "What's this war business anyway?"

"You have heard of the different disturbances that have occurred, am I correct?"

"Yeah, me and Yuko talked about that."

"The disturbances are becoming more and more frequent. Even my powers have had troubles as of late."

"Meaning? How about getting straight to the point."

Setsuna's cold eyes became colder, it seemed to drop almost a thousand degrees below zero. Jimmy tried to act unaffected, but could not help feel that his miscalculated words were taken as an insult. She continued, "The truth is for you to accept, Sorcerer. I feel that you have already uncovered something about the boy, and how he is connected to all of this."

"Taro? Look that boy is just as ordinary as anyone else."

"Truly? His return to this world and the current disturbance with magic, struck you as not odd?"

Jimmy could not give a reply.

"Seven passed away, and so forth, seven did return. One, however, was not meant to be brought back."

Jimmy still remained silent; not wanting to believe what he just heard and trying hard to deny his earlier suspicions.

"Take care of yourself Sorcerer. For even though you think that you are nothing but a small piece in a great puzzle, you are important. I will see you again." She gave him a slight bow and disappeared.

The toy cellphone began to ring again, Jimmy waited for a few seconds then answered, "I just hope I don't have to pay you anything for your help."

"None needed, Jimmy, destroying them was enough."

"Right. Who sent them? Yuko, I know you got enemies, I'd rather not get involved in this one."

The other line became silent for a moment.

"Yuko?"

"You are already involved. Whether you like it or not, you are now involved."

"Fine. Be that way."

"Jimmy? Are you not forgetting something?"

"That would be about what?"

"Never mind. It was just something about the clues I gave you. Take care of yourself."

"Uh, Yuko, can this cellphone make outgoing calls?"

A mild laugh erupted from the witch, "Silly Jimmy, it is only a toy."

"Quite disappointing. Thought I could use something like this. I guess I'll be hearing again from you again, eh?."

"Yes, you will."

"Goodbye then and thanks."

"You are most welcome Jimmy."

*****

Jimmy took a deep breath to clear his head of the recent ordeal that left him shaken. He looked up to the sky and saw that it was already night, _"With all that running, I didn't notice the time."_ Somewhere inside his coat, he felt something hot and burning, he then realized that it was coming from his cigarette pack. Taking it out, and flipping the top cover open, he saw that his "lucky" stick was burning, dragging a few along as collateral damage.

"_Taro. Did he finally realize what I wanted him to know?"_

He walked to the nearest phone booth and dialed Keitaro's mobile phone number. He had to wait for three rings before there was an answer.

"Jimmy?" Keitaro's voice was barely a whisper.

In a shaky voice, the magician answered, "Yeah, it's me. Got your call."

___________________

**Author's Notes:**

Edward the Alchemist was based from Edward Elric of Fullmetal Alchemist. The description on homunculi was my own and not based on the manga/anime, but rather from what I understood of ancient alchemy.

As you can see, this chapter has some occult references. Since my story is a rated as mature, I guess I don't have to worry of emails and reviews about turning my back from Jesus and such. Here are some explanations.

Salt, in almost all cultures is used for purification purposes, hence the reaction of the possessed girl. It is also believed that salt can ward off evil spirits, as seen in the circle and line of salt. Sulfur, in alchemy and many other beliefs, is deeply connected with fire and Hell; I guess I don't have to elaborate anymore that.

The projection mentioned is called Astral/Etheric Projection, I just modified it a little so Jimmy can talk with Edward, since my sources told me that a projection won't be able to interact with the material plane. Lastly, the skull with numerous symbols on it serves as a "magical lodestone", I don't really understand all the occult meanings behind it, to make it simple, it's like a bus stop you use to get from one place to another.

By the way, did Jimmy turn into a Gary Stu? I don't mind honesty, since I might use Jimmy in future stories. Need your feedback on this one. Oh, and the 7-Eleven bit, in Japan, they call it Seven and I holdings, for more info just check wikipedia.

Guess, that's all I have to say. R&R people! Cheers, and see you next chapter!


	10. Down Memory Lane

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

This chapter is a bit slow on the pacing. It basically answers some questions in the earlier chapters. By the way, if I might have a slow time in updating the next chapters, it's because I'm having a terrible time of rethinking the flow of the story. I originally planned the war to be almost non-existent, just on the background. Well, no major battle scenes will appear, but there might be a fight or two.

Zeroeye: I guess my creative juices were just flowing that time.

Abel Nightcross: Well, I guess you'll have to wait for a while then.

Halo expert: They're not just in the middle of it, they're on rock bottom.

YoungKonoha: Thanks.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 10: Down Memory Lane**

Keitaro felt someone tap his shoulder.

"That's McGinty's." the man said with his finger pointing to the blue neon sign.

"Um, yeah I know. I was looking for it."

"You've been mumbling that name, just felt that I needed to point to you."

"Uh, sure, thanks."

"You're welcome." with that man went on his way. Keitaro scolded himself inside his head. He was so engrossed in repeating the name on his head that he did not notice he was already mumbling. No doubt, the people who saw him, might have mistaken him for some lunatic. Pushing the door open, he saw Jimmy huddled in his stool near the counter. He walked up on him and greeted his drinking buddy, "Hey there, been some time."

"Well, what do you know? The legend returns. You going to a funeral?"

"Ha, ha, very funny Jimmy," Keitaro sat beside the magician and continued, "You should look at yourself. That gray suit again? Don't tell me you're afraid of water."

"I like gray suits. Doesn't tell much about the person wearing."

"Yeah, you look so damn ordinary, that no one will miss you if you were gone."

"Less attention to myself, the better. Anyway, how are the sob stories?"

"How about a drink first?"

"Been waiting for you just to ask that," he called out the bartender, "Maiko-chan, two shots of Jack Daniel's for our starter, then we'll call you for beer."

"Sure thing Jimmy," the bartender replied as she began to pour the Tennessee whiskey into shot glasses, "Here you go."

Taking their drinks and saying their thanks, the two men continued where they left.

"So, how's the business with your clones?" Jimmy asked.

"So far so good. I guess."

"What's so good?"

"I managed to make peace with some of them."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They weren't so hard to deal with after all. All I needed was backbone."

"Happy for you."

"Thanks," Keitaro then noticed that they have not yet drank the shots, "So how about we start this drinking session?" he said as he raised his shot glass.

Jimmy did the same, "Cheers then."

"Same to you Jimmy."

They felt a tinge of relief as the whiskey went down and burned their throats. The bartender, seeing that they have already downed their starters, opened two bottles of beer and placed it in front of them.

"Thanks, Maiko-chan." Jimmy said.

"No problem," the bartender smiled and asked, "So what you've been doing this days? Looks like you got yourself a stray puppy."

"Well, they always called me a lone wolf."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the bartender asked.

"Nothing really."

Maiko gave out a slightly irritated puff of wind, "Well, just call me if you need anything more."

"I'll do that," turning his attention to Keitaro, the magician asked, "So, you happy with them now?"

"The girls or the clones?"

"Both."

"Well, I guess I really can't say that. The past few days seemed like an emotional roller-coaster."

"How is that so?"

"To start off, I gave up on my girl. She seemed to more happy with my clone."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, ouch," Keitaro took his beer and downed it in one big gulp. Jimmy was quite surprised at what he saw, "Damn it Taro, don't tell me you want a drinking contest."

"Eh? I just downed one beer, what's up with that?"

"I swear, you weren't even breathing. Anyway, come on, what about the sob story?"

"Ha," Keitaro's face brightened up with a triumphant smile, "I became the man."

"You were the woman before?"

"No," the kanrinin scowled, "What I wanted to say was that I took some responsibility. Hell, I made those clones of mine work their assess off."

"And?"

"And? Well, they listened. I guess they were all shocked. Now that I think about it, you must have some effect on me."

"Meaning?"

"You know...it's quite irritating hearing you answer me with only one word."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow then gave a mischievous smile, "Anything else?"

"Oh come on Jimmy! Be serious."

"Alright, alright, I'll be serious now."

Keitaro continued, "Well, to start off, I got a little bit caustic for some time. Hell, you should have seen me out there. By the way, remember the time that you got rid of my dreams?"

"You want them back now?"

"No, no, it's just that it seems that I'm missing some pieces. I mean, it's like a week or two just passed me by. I don't remember that much. Did you remove them?"

"No, of course not," the magician frowned, "I don't make people forget unless they want to. You only wanted your dreams out."

"Did you see them? My memories? I'm wondering why I forgot."

"I have the power to look at them, but I chose not to, privacy issues and all. Besides, I'm quite skilled with that kind of magic. I know I won't fuck up just like that."

"Then..." the kanrinin's words trailed off for a while, "Why can't I remember?"

"I don't know," Jimmy said as he took a sip from his beer, "But you should know, that sometimes, people do it to themselves."

"Do what?"

"Forget. Sometimes people just forget. And they don't need magic to that. Reminds me of a story I know. You wanna listen up?"

A small laugh escaped from Keitaro, "Sure why not? You're quite the storyteller. But wait...does it begin with a 'once upon a time' kind of thing?"

"Taro my boy," the magician said as he breathed deep to tell his story, "Like I said before, all fucked up stories begin with a 'once upon a time'..."

*****

"There was this guy, a total family man, if you ask me. He was the usual executive, got a good position in the company, got some friends upstairs, and a salary that anyone would kill for. The wife was the high-school sweetheart, prom queen, teenage beauty and all that. The kind of ditz that gets knocked up at age sixteen, then becomes a freaking baby factory. Never knew why the poor bastard loved her, but who am I to judge? Got no girl or wife for myself. Anyway, three kids came out in succession, two girls and a boy. Slimy little bastards, if you ask me; banging their heads on the wall if they don't get what they fucking want. But he was a stupid bloke. Stupid and loving bloke he was, he didn't mind. Inside his head, everything was in order. What more could he ask for? Unlike us, life was good for him. At least that's how saw it through his rose-colored glasses."

"But everything just needs to end, doesn't it? Life can't keep giving you a free fuck no matter how much you beg. And so, it all happened when the postman rang twice. The wife was bored and horny as hell, the kids were out for school, and the husband was at the office, or so she thought. It was their anniversary that day, the hubby left the office early to buy roses and make reservations at some posh restaurant. Surprise, surprise. The wife was already eating a long, thick, and fat sausage that would make a first-class racing horse red in envy. He didn't know what to do, he just stood there by the slightly opened door, watching his wife and the postman do it like dogs."

"Then everything faded to black. He found himself at the door again with a sweet Remington 870 in his hands. The postman never had a chance. His head got blown off in a very messy way. Mind you, I'm talking about the head on top. The wife was luckier, or maybe not. She didn't get the lead right away. Guess, it's because she kept on shouting: 'Oh honey, baby, so sorry baby, I was thinking about you all the time! I pwomise! I pwomise! I won't do it again. I wuv you! I wuv you!'. But I guess, it's hard to take that seriously if you see your cheating wife still 'attached' to a dead guy. To make the story short, he used the shotgun's stock to make her head a bloody piece of paper-maché."

*****

"Thats..." Keitaro eyes were filled with utter horror with the story, "So fucked up."

"And they make soap operas out of that."

"What happened next?"

"The guy went back to high school."

"He was an executive who murdered his wife! Why would he go back to high school?"

"Well his head went back to high school."

"You mean..."

"Go ahead, figure it out."

Keitaro paused for a while, oiling the gears inside his head. Then his eyes lit up with the realization, "With what he saw and what he did he just blanked out? Forgot everything? Went back to happier times?"

"Do you daydream, Taro?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"Well, there was a time when I thought that I failed to get into Toudai for the third time. I ran away on a ship. Dreaming that I'll be in the freezing mountains with nothing but wolves for friends."

"So that's it, you got it Taro. People do it themselves. We always try to forget those kind of memories, especially when the times are bad. There's this oyster shell, a prison, where we lock ourselves, trying to think of the happier days. The same thing happened to that man. I guess we'll never really know, if he felt guilt and remorse for what he did, but I guess that doesn't matter. He must have loved his wife so much, that when he killed her, he went back to his high school memories. Trying to keep her alive in that mental prison."

"So what does this mean? I saw something so traumatic I wanted to forget? What could that ever be?"

"You tell me. Who knows, maybe they were having a freaking orgy and you never got invited."

"Oh come on Jimmy, be serious already!" Keitaro belted out as he heard the incredulous scenario that Jimmy had painted for him.

"Alright, okay, relax," the magician snickered. He finished his beer first and ordered two more bottles for them before he continued, "Look I'm no psychologist, but if you really did blank out then you must have seen something that had a profound impact on you. I don't know, maybe it may have been something trivial, maybe not. Or maybe..."

"Maybe what?" the young man waited for the answer with great anticipation.

Jimmy bit his lip, guesswork was something he hated, but it had to do for an answer, "Or maybe...well, I'm just guessing, okay? Maybe...you wanted to forget."

"Why would I want to forget?"

"Why do you want to remember? Sometimes, losing your mind is not that really bad. Finding it again, could be even more terrifying."

"I know myself Jimmy. I'm no murderer. Or else I'll be locked up right now."

"Oh really? Take a look here, at yourself and me. I told you that I'm a magician, I did what could be called magic tricks, even right now, we're drinking. Tell me, how sure are you that this is real? That this isn't some morbid fantasy you have in your head."

Before Keitaro could answer, Jimmy went on, "Don't answer that. I was just toying with you," the magician then went for his cigarettes and lighted one, he offered some to the kanrinin who flatly refused.

"Eh, your cigarettes taste awful, besides I got my Mild Sevens here," he went to light one of his sticks, then asked the magician, "So, can you do something about my memory?"

"Can I ask you something first?"

"Eh? Okay, I guess it can wait. What do you want to know?"

"Revenge. What's your opinion?"

A smile traced its way on Keitaro's face, "I guess I'll have to do a Confucius on you."

"Go shoot."

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

"Okay kiddo," the magician smiled, "You got me there. Anything else? Being philosophical is a habit of mine, once in a while."

Confidence poured through the young man's heart. He felt that for once, whatever wisdom he had acquired would be put to use, "Well it simply means that nothing good will come out of revenge. The two graves part mean that you'll also get harmed by your anger and hate. Reminds me of a story about a certain website. You type the name of the one you hate, then click okay; next thing you know, this girl appears and tells you that she can send that person to hell."

"Interesting. What happens next? There's always a catch in those kind of things."

Breathing deep, Keitaro unleashed the zinger, "You also go to hell when you die."

A smile cracked the magician's face, amused at the young man's display of wisdom. He inhaled another poisonous mixture of tar and nicotine and crushed the spent cigarette in his ashtray. "That's how you see revenge?" he asked the young kanrinin.

"Well, yeah. I'm not the type who keeps grudges anyway."

"Even though your life was turned upside down by your clones?"

"I can start again. I remember you telling me the story of that young man whose mother was killed and the ball and chain analogy; it was all about moving on. And that's how I'll move on."

"You sacrifice your happiness for the sake others?"

"Yeah. I already did that when I gave up on my crush. When I told myself that maybe, all I could ever be to her is a friend. Nothing more."

"Even though that girl took your life away?"

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't be here talking to me if you never met that girl. You wouldn't be even split up into six."

"I don't blame her for what happened to me Jimmy. Sure, things went awry, but...I...guess..."

"Having a hard time? I can finish it for you."

"No, I'll finish my own words. I'll never regret that I loved her. Meeting her was one of the best moments in my life. I don't care if I got split into six because I stayed at my grandmother's inn, hoping against hope to win her feelings."

"Looks like we're on two different worlds."

"What?"

"Nothing. You told me a while ago that you wanted to remember."

"Yeah. Can you do it?"

"Of course. Let me finish my beer first."

Both of them gulped their bottles as if there was no tomorrow. Unlike the whiskey which burned, the beer iced it's way down their throats, making them shiver a little in the already cold air-conditioned bar. The magician took a deep breath and asked, "Ready?"

"Anytime you are Jimmy."

"Alright then," Jimmy cracked his knuckles and rubbed his palms together, this somewhat scared Keitaro, who clearly remembered the time when the magician drilled a cigarette in his head. "Wait," the kanrinin said, "You're not using your Luckies for that?"

"Nope."

"Your fingers then? All ten of them?"

"Did it hurt the last time?"

"Not...really."

"Liar. Anyway, don't worry. This one's more gentle, won't hurt a bit."

Despite the magician's assurance, Keitaro swallowed his throat, his fear very much apparent. "Now," Jimmy continued, "All good boys go to heaven, so why don't you count from one to seven?"

"Sure," the young man nervously chuckled, "One---"

"SEVEN!" Quicker than midnight, Jimmy violently stabbed Keitaro's temples with his fingers. Slowly and surely, the kanrinin felt the same pain he had a few nights ago. Only this time, it was ten times more intense. Jimmy's fingers massaged his brain in a very violent manner; ripping out whatever it is that hindered the magician to access his memories.

*****

"Where are we?" Keitaro asked, trying to make sense of what happened a few moments ago. They were not at the bar anymore, it was not even night. The sun above was unforgiving with its glare, but strangely, it felt cool, no heat was present in his surroundings. What made it more stranger, was that he was staring at the entrance of Hinata Inn.

"Inside your head. Feels like a movie, eh? We got the best seats, front row and center."

"Well..." Keitaro's words trailed off as he looked left and right, trying to make sure that what he was seeing was real, "What now? Nothing is happening."

"Taro, we're inside your head. As much as possible I want you to be the one to 'will' your memories to appear. Believe me, if I fiddle this diddle of a brain of yours, you'll get a real bad hangover once we're done."

"Eh?"

"You heard me awhile ago right? Just imagine yourself watching DVD. All you got to do is think," the magician placed a lot of stress on the last word, then he continued, "Think of whatever memory you want to show up, just like in a scene selection. Then, it'll happen."

"Okay then," Keitaro inhaled and was about to concentrate when another pressing thought interrupted him, "Wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Before that, I want to know why my sister had been acting so strangely."

"You have a sister? Never told me that. Anyway, just think of your sister then, and let the magic do the rest."

"Okay." Once again, Keitaro took a deep breath and began to concentrate. He thought of Kanako's black hair, her black cat, her Gothic clothes, and most of all, her inappropriate brotherly love.

A thin mist of fog began to envelope their surroundings. It swirled and swirled as if it had a life of its own. The sight of Hinata Inn's entrance began to twist and turn, becoming a whirlpool of different images. Then without any warning, everything went black. It did not last for long, a violent explosion of pure, searing white light brought them to another place and another time inside the kanrinin's mind.

They found themselves inside a room, Keitaro's room. There, the two men saw another Keitaro, a Keitaro of the past, torridly kissing a redheaded girl on a futon, mangled by intense and passionate movement.

"Looks like a you were having a good time."

"What the? That's Naru!" Keitaro reeled from disbelief. He never though he was capable of such a thing. His past self and Naru still wore their clothes, but from what was going on, he suspected that it might not be there for long. Watching the scene unfold was one of the most bizarre things that the kanrinin could ever imagine. No sounds were coming out from them, they were in mute mode. But the look on their faces were enough to convey whatever emotions they felt at that moment.

Keitaro saw his past self's lips mouth off a single word. A single name. Naru. It was the only thing that came out of those lips. It was only broken when they kissed or when they moaned in pleasure.

Then something odd happened. Naru stopped Keitaro's past self's attempt to take off her pants. Instead, she brought his face closer to hers, and kissed him again. After that kiss, she violently tore the skin on her face, revealing to him that she was another woman.

"Whoa!" Jimmy nearly shouted in complete surprise, "She had a fucking face-off! You know?" he circled his hands on his own face, "Face..." then pulled it away, "Off?"

For his part, Keitaro could only stare at what he saw, his jaw wide open and nearly touching the ground, "That's my sister!"

"What the? You spooned your own sister? Fuck me sideways, Taro. Maybe you did a carpet dive and got the trauma by aroma."

"Jimmy, damn it, I don't need that right now. How could this happen? I'm the only one who can see through her disguises."

"Hey, take a look over there." Jimmy pointed at the unfolding scene.

Keitaro's past self was not even fazed by the sight. He simply cupped Kanako's cheeks, and mouthed off again, the voiceless, yet utterly familiar name. Naru. Only Naru was on his lips, on his eyes, on his mind, and on his heart; there was only Naru. He repeated the name again and again, like how a Buddhist monk would chant his sutras—unceasing with a disturbing passion.

Kanako had enough. She pushed his brother away and gave him a slap. No sound was heard, but by the way Keitaro's past self recoiled, it had to be a forceful one. Nonetheless, the kanrinin of the past memory still continued his mantra: Naru. With tears in her eyes, Kanako stormed out of the room. But not before giving her brother a sorrowful look, that slowly turned to anger, and then pity.

"Quite insensitive of you, really. Saying another name, while a girl tries her best to comfort you."

"Jimmy, cut if off," Keitaro said with a thin frown, "Anyway this is not it, I mean, I think...no...I feel that, this is not it."

"Not what? The thing that made you forget?"

"Yeah. Looking at myself over there," he pointed to his past self who was still mumbling Naru's name over and over, "I'm already messed up. So I guess this isn't the one. This isn't the cause."

"You know what do, Taro."

"I know," Once again, Keitaro closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. This time it was faster, the world around the two men did not twist and turn. There was only a bright flash of light, and after that they found themselves in a park.

"Hey, that's you right?" Jimmy pointed to a couple, sharing the shade under a tree.

"Yeah, it has to be me. But I think Naru is being too sweet. I never saw her that act that way."

"You mean you'd rather have her punch the hell out of you?"

"No, of course---"

Their discussion was interrupted by the appearance of another Keitaro. This puzzled the two for a while, until they realized that the one that Naru was with was not the original, but the clone instead.

Looking more closely to the real Keitaro, they noticed that he was watching the couple at a distance, with tears in his eyes. He was carrying a small rectangular box, covered in expensive wrapping paper. They saw him walk away, throwing the gift in a nearby trash bin.

"So that's it?" Jimmy asked, "No orgies? Man, the scene with your sister was a lot more exciting."

"Jimmy."

"Fine, fine, but I wonder how did that affect you."

"Can we get closer to them? I mean, would they notice us?"

"Of course not," the magician began to walk towards the couple's direction, "Come on."

Keitaro followed him, and together they looked at Naru and Makoto. At first blush, there was not much anything to see. But when Keitaro looked hard enough, he saw that Naru had a very serene look on her, something that he never saw during his entire stay at Hinata Inn. But what caught his attention was the summer dress she was wearing; it was nothing magnificent, it was just a simple white fabric made out of cotton. However, Naru looked like a goddess in that getup, it complimented every slender fiber of her body. Despite the emotions he tried to deny, they all crawled all over him, making him remember the love he gave her; the love that was never returned.

He finally remembered how hot it was that day, the sun punished everyone by making them sweat like pigs. It was in that moment, that he thought that maybe she needed another dress, one fitting for the weather. Going to the department store, he remembered looking at one of the decapitated plastic models. One was wearing a summer dress so plain that it would have been rendered ugly. But not for Keitaro, something told him, that even that simple cotton dress would fit Naru very well.

And he was right. She did look magnificent in that dress. But it was a pity, that he was not the one to give it to her. Another one had already thought it up first, got to the store earlier, and bought something so similar to his own. And that someone, gave it to her before he could.

"He beat me into giving the dress." Keitaro said.

"Come again?"

"I remember now, I remember. I bought a dress to give it to Naru as a gift. I don't know how, but my clone got to her first. Looks like he bought the same kind of dress. Doesn't really surprise me, I mean, we are part of the same puzzle anyway."

Never the one to just give tea and sympathy, Jimmy simply muttered, "Well what do you know? Amnesia by heartbreak. Wonder if some soap operas would write that in their story."

"Get me out of here Jimmy. I remember now."

"All of it?"

"Yes. Let's get out here."

"Heard you the first time."

Everything went black.

*****

"I gotta say that was pretty anti-climactic."

"Well," Keitaro sighed, "I guess that's just your point of view. I'm guessing you never gave anyone a gift, expecting them to be happy at the thought."

"No, I never did."

"I thought so."

"You want anything else to drink?"

"No, I guess not."

"I'll have one anyway," Jimmy called for the bartender, "Maiko-chan, gin and tonic please."

"Coming right up," she replied, a few minutes later, she placed the drink in front of the magician, "Here you go."

"Thanks, Maiko-chan," Jimmy then turned his attention to Keitaro, who was busy smoking, "So, I guess we should talk about your clones now. What do you have on them?"

Keitaro took a few puffs before he answered, "Well, apart from they don't have my immortality. Nothing much."

"Are you sure?"

"Well...there is this thing that my genius clone told me. It was about him blowing his temper at work or something. Well, almost everyone of them is changing anyway. They seem to be developing some new sort of personality. Sort of growing up. Other than that, nothing. They're perfectly normal."

"Normal you say?"

"Yeah. Normal. Just like any other guy."

Jimmy slowly sipped his gin and tonic, allowing the juniper laced spirit calm the growing suspicion inside him. Taking another one of his Luckies and lighting it, he turned to Taro and said, "Give me your glasses."

Keitaro was taken aback, but complied. There was a gnawing shadow of concern in the magician's eyes when he looked at him. He tried to shake it over, telling himself that he was just having too much hyperactive thoughts. Despite the blurred vision, he saw Jimmy flick out his switchblade and began carving something in his glasses' temples, he remained silent, allowing the magician to do his work. And when he finished, it was promptly given back to him. "What's up with that?" he asked as pushed his glasses back into place, "I don't see anything different."

"Don't worry," Jimmy assured him, "You'll see a lot soon enough. Anyway," he then reached inside his pockets and took out a very strange necklace, "Take this and wear it, it'll protect you."

"Not sure if I need some protecting, Keitaro slightly protested as he took the necklace. He nearly dropped it when he held it closer to himself. "Jimmy! What the hell is this?"

The necklace in question was nothing elaborate, but totally morbid. Its string was made of different strands of human hair, there were black, brown, red, blond, and white. Instead of a locket that houses a picture, there were four pieces of adult human teeth; discolored by the passing of time with strange runes carved on them.

"If ever you find yourself or the people you care for in danger, just say the phrase: strangle and feast."

"What will happen?" Keitaro asked as he pocketed the grim accessory.

"It will protect you."

"That's all? What's going on Jimmy?"

The magician took another sip of his drink before he answered, "You'll know soon enough. How about we call it a night?"

"Well, this was a pretty short affair," he looked at his watch, "It's only nine in the evening. But alright then. Will you walk with me?"

"You're no lady Taro, you can walk alone fine. Besides, you got that necklace."

"Ha, ha, very funny Jimmy."

"Anyway, Taro. Let's meet up again. Friday. Hinata Park. Ten in the morning"

"I've got classes on that day."

"Not for long."

"Eh?"

"Nothing."

"Will you give me one of your Luckies again?"

"Nope. Not needed anymore."

"Don't tell me we're to have a picnic?"

"No picnics. I'll be taking you to...a friend."

"Alright," Keitaro stood up from his seat, "Guess, I'll have to call it a night then. Be careful Jimmy."

"They'll be the ones who need to be careful," the magician said as he waved goodbye to Keitaro.

*****

It took him a minute or two before Jimmy finished his gin and tonic and ordered for a second one. Inside his head, dark and stormy clouds began to rumble. The past two days or so of his investigation had yielded damnable proof. It was only his soft spot for the boy and his stubbornness to accept the facts that held him back to accept the truth. And to make things worse, Keitaro's revelation about his clones had indeed confirmed his worst fears.

"_It won't be long before those skirmishes become a full-blown war."_

Jimmy reached inside his one of coat pockets and took out a pouch of unadulterated sulfur. He stared at the yellow powder, a component for one of his spells. There was a shadow of indecision in his eyes, as if his head was having a debate on whether or not use the foul smelling powder. His "to be or not to be" musings were cut short as he heard the sound of a glass gently placed on the counter. He took back the pouch and placed it again inside his coat.

"_It's so goddamn simple really. For this war not to escalate..."_

He took the gin and tonic and gulped it half-way to emptiness.

"_All that needs to happen...is for you to die. Urashima Keitaro."_

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

Just a rundown of the Shards timeline

Chapters 1,2,&3 – Saturday night

Chapter 4 – Sunday

Chapter 5 – Monday

Chapter 6 – Monday, not that apparent though

Chapter 7 – Tuesday morning and afternoon

Chapter 8 – Tuesday night and Wednesday morning until early night

Chapter 9 – Wednesday, same as Chapter 8

Chapter 10 – Wednesday night

And to think of it, Fate/Stay Night happens in a span of two weeks, tsk, looks like this work of mine might exceed the 15 Chapter limitation I put on myself. Ok, I said **might**, so maybe or maybe not. I'll try to keep it in a one week scenario.

Cheers people, enjoy the story and drop a review. See you next chapter!


	11. A Certain Sense of Danger

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

Once again, another slow chapter. Something to put you on hold before all hell breaks loose. Read and review people! Cheers!

Abel Nightcross: Well, explanations will come at the later chapters. But feel free to point out the parts that leaves you stumped.

Halo expert: Well, here is the update. And yes, from my draft, I might exceed my 15 chapter limitation by one or two chapters.

Zeroeye: Confusing eh? Makes you think if Jimmy is really a good guy in the story.

YoungKonoha: Jimmy is off? As in offensive? Hmm, better tone him down then.

Spirit HellFire: Ah, cameos, the word I was looking for. And all this time I've been using crossovers in the wrong context. About Yuko and the friend, well...you just gave me an idea that I can use for the ending.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 11: A Certain Sense of Danger**

Something was wrong in the air.

Keitaro felt that today was not just a beautiful day. Not that there were numerous accidents or arguments, or any other troubles. Outside the classroom, the sun shone like usual and the wind made the curtains dance once in a while. Just like any other ordinary day; it was simply like any other normal day—too normal for his liking. It was like the day forced itself to be so utterly uneventful. Even the morning scene he woke up to was relatively tame, no insults flew out, no questions about his whereabouts the night before, even Makoto, did not press him to eat that much.

Everything seemed to be alright. But Keitaro knew better. The normalcy was due to the events that he never knew, partly because, he was too busy about his own thoughts and own life. But those said events affected the people around him. Making them act normal, in order to hide, perhaps, their fears. He remembered coming home around ten in the evening last Wednesday night. Jimmy ended their drinking session at a very early time, so he took the liberty to walk around Hinata City, in order to bask in the youngness of that night.

Big mistake.

What greeted him when he got home, was a very angry aunt.

*****

"Where the hell have you been Keitaro?"

Haruka was clearly incensed for some particular reason, something that Keitaro failed to notice. "Relax, Haruka-obasan. I was just out drinking."

"Drinking? If you want to drink you could always ask Kitsune to give you some of her sake bottles."

Her retort stirred something inside the kanrinin's head. Whenever he attaches obasan to her name, she usually greets him with a harisen slap. But not tonight. Something was totally bothering the woman. "Haruka-obasan, it's not that I don't like sake or anything, but hey, I just needed some company for tonight."

"You have me! You have us! Why go outside then?"

Keitaro sighed, "Okay, but sometimes I also have some other friends to talk to. I mean, I can't just limit myself to Hinata Inn, right?"

"Have you been watching the news Keitaro?"

"Not much, since there aren't anything good to watch as of late."

Haruka folded her arms, her irritation brightened like a thousand light bulbs. "People have been missing, some were found dead."

"So that's why," the kanrinin smiled as he heard her answer, "Well, I'm immortal right?"

Flippancy did not do him any good. Haruka's harisen found its way on his head.

"What was that for?" Keitaro asked as he scratched his hair, visibly irritated by her response.

"I was so worried about you. Don't just shrug it off like that," holding her hands in akimbo, Haruka continued, "From now on, no one goes out at night. No buts and no ifs."

"Alright then. Now I hope you don't mind me getting some sleep Haruka-obasan."

"Of course not. You still have classes tomorrow. So go ahead."

"Thanks." With that, he walked on towards the stairs to go to his room.

"Keitaro, wait a minute."

"What now?" he turned around to face his aunt, only to find a white blur and a stinging pain on his face—the usual harisen slap.

"It's Haruka-san."

*****

College Physics was his last class today. As usual, the boys drooled and dreamed of their beautiful physics teacher. A pity though, she never paid them any attention; it was always about the lesson—nothing else. Keitaro just watched on, taking down notes, and answering the usual question. Aside from that, nothing else happened. Time passed him like a blur. What brought him back to reality was the sound of a broken tune, the telltale sign of a class that has come to an end.

Naru joined him in his walk towards the train station. Just like the other day before with Isamu, it was a one sided conversation. Talks about general topics like the weather, the lessons, the volume of traffic, what to do the next day, and other mundane things went on and on as the two of them waited for their ride. Keitaro swore to himself that if nothing interesting was going to happen, he might as well jump on the train tracks just to make some news.

Then serendipity came to work.

"Hey! Look who we found here Mo-chan."

"Isamu-kun, Motoko-chan, what a nice surprise!" Naru exclaimed.

"Good afternoon, to both of you, Naru-senpai, kanrinin-san."

Keitaro simply nodded, but inside he was smiling. Not that he found the talk with Naru boring, but somehow, he just got used to seeing a lot of people around him. Ever since the clones came to his life, he looked forward at seeing the girls interact with them; especially now that he chose to move on with his life. Though he was still hurting at the fact that they took his place in the girls' hearts, he did not mind anymore. He was just like his old self again; others first, him second.

"You got off work early and you're with Mo-chan. Care to explain Isamu?" the kanrinin asked his clone.

"Hey, it's not what you think. The boss let me off early. Truth to be told, I didn't expect to see you at all."

"Come to think of it," Naru interjected, "Motoko-chan, you seem to be out of cram school early today."

"They canceled my next class due to the absent professor and students. Very discomforting, especially with the news of missing people passed around." Motoko held onto her katana, wrapped in a cloth for concealment.

Keitaro looked around and saw that Motoko had a point, the train car was almost empty. One could run around back and forth without any worry that they would be scolded. It seems that the killing and disappearances had a tremendous impact if most people did not want to come outside their houses. Looking back to his companions, he noticed that they all had smiles. The subject of their discussion had shifted back to the mundane topics that he heard a while ago. He could only give out a sigh, he could not blame them for doing so. No sane person would want to talk about such grim topics all day.

Outside, the crimson sun pathetically clung to its defenses against the onslaught of night. Little by little, Keitaro saw the red become black, a discomforting and foreboding sight. The gray blur of concrete buildings did not help him feel at ease either. Deep inside his head, a little voice kept on telling him that things will be alright. But something told him otherwise.

When they got back to Hinata Inn, the first thing that Keitaro did was to turn on the television. Even though the idiot-tube was filled with nothing but cheesy soap operas and childish anime shows, he endured them just to pass the time. What he needed was the news. Call it intuition or plain morbid curiosity, but the news of the killings seemed to have had taken hold of him. He needed know more about the crimes. His prayers were answered when a flash report came to the TV, interrupting the usual flow of the early evening prime time programming.

*****

The anchorwoman seemed terribly shaken by whatever it is that she needed to say. With the mysterious disappearances and murders as of late, it was deadly obvious that being the anchor on that time-slot was the last thing she ever wanted. Still, her voice maintained a professional tone in order for her to coherently deliver the news.

"As of this time, numerous citizens of Hinata City are still in shock. Rumors of a psychopath stalking out victims have been spreading since Monday evening. Due to incessant public pressure, the police have already agreed to stop withholding some of the information regarding the victims. Investigators are still optimistic that the missing persons are just missing and have not yet shared the tragic fate of the others."

From the newsroom, the scene changed to that of a police officer, notably of high rank due to his medals, surrounded by reporters and being barraged by numerous questions. He tried to maintain a sense of order by issuing a request that sounded more of a command. "One question at a time. You will be answered, provided that your question does not pertain to the ongoing investigation about the other victims."

"Sir, may we have a definite body count?"

"As of this time, we have confirmed that there are six fatalities."

Another one butts in, "Causes of death?"

"Two of them died of exsanguination due to multiple stab wounds. From what forensics reports told us, the wounds were caused by a very pointed object."

"A knife?"

"No, it was too small to be a knife. We are still analyzing the findings."

"What about the other four fatalities? Any information on them?"

"As of the moment were are still piecing them...rather we are piecing the clues together."

"Sir, that was quite a slip of tongue. A little more explanation perhaps?"

Sensing danger in answering the question, the officer immediately deflected it, "Next question please."

"Have you already uncovered their identities?"

"Yes. However, with due respect to their families, we cannot display such information as of the moment."

"Is it true that only women are being targeted?"

"Totally untrue. The first two I mentioned earlier are males in their early twenties."

"What about the other four?"

"Let me make it clear that the other four fatalities are still being examined. Thus, no information will be released about them until we feel that we have something conclusive."

"Sir, what about the rumors of a serial killer? Any comment on that?"

"That's absurd," said the officer. Clearly, it was a non-denial denial, meant to shoot down any question that could lead to the truth. He continued, "Now, I believe must get back to work. Any questions you have will be dealt with later."

Still, the reporters fired one question after the other.

"Was it really a serial killer?"

"A gaijin in a gray suit was said to be spotted in one of the crime scenes. Is he a suspect?"

"Has anyone been arrested yet?"

More and more questions assaulted the officer. But he remained steadfast and walked away, leaving the journalists craving for answers.

"And that would be it for now. Please tune in with us for---"

*****

Shinobu and Urashima's call for dinner made Keitaro turn off the television. Morbid stories and food do not mix together very well. He made a mental note to ask for more details from Haruka, who undoubtedly, will be watching the late night news report.

At the dinner table, there was no trace of uneasiness whatsoever. Even Urashima and Isamu were back at exchanging verbal barbs with each other; only this time, it was a lot less insulting. Shinichi and Haru talked in low whispers while Naru and Makoto flirted with each other with their glances. Aoi and Kitsune were grinning from ear to ear, something told Keitaro that it was best that he should not ask why is it so. The only ones missing were Suu and Kanako; the former was still down with the flu, while the latter, Keitaro could only guess, was avoiding him.

Shinobu broke the unusually peaceful and uneventful discussion with her story. "Today's very strange, don't you think? The air seems to be a lot heavier and discomforting."

"Well, Shinobu-chan," Urashima said as he patted the girl's head, "Some sicko killer is out there. So I with people being afraid, it's only natural for the surroundings to show. You don't have to worry. If you still have classes tomorrow, I can fetch you if you want."

Shinobu blushed at the evil clone's suggestion and stammered, "C-classes had been suspended because of that. You don't have to bother anymore senpai."

"Looks like somebody's being sweet."

"Shut up emo."

"Hey, hey," Makoto interjected, "Let's try to have a peaceful dinner shall we?"

Naru smiled at her boyfriend's suggestion, "Yeah, I guess that's for the best. With all the tension outside Hinata Inn, it's quite a miracle that we are not affected yet. Come to think of it..."

"What is it Naru?" Keitaro asked.

"Well, it's just that there are some rumors of suspending the classes. Even for the college level."

"I believe that is a wise decision," Motoko added, "Some people don't have the means to defend themselves."

"I-I-I just hope that it will be over soon. T-t-the teashop are having some problems."

"Eh? C'mon twerp, don't tell me you went on to break all the china there."

"No, it's not that Urashima-kun," Makoto said while giving Haru a nod, "It's just that because of the news, the teashop doesn't have much customers."

"Yeah, that's true. Even the coffeehouse where I work didn't have much customers. That's why my boss let me off early."

Keitaro coughed to gain their attention, "Alright, it seems the news affected all of your work schedules. Anything important I should know?"

Shinichi was quick to answer, "No more overtimes for me. Actually I might have to do my work here, and just send it by the Internet."

Aoi grumbled as he revealed his status, "The comedy bar said that my work might not even start next week. That just blows, I already read a lot joke books for my act."

The kanrinin could only run his left hand on his hair as he heard their dilemmas. With the craziness going on, only Shinichi would be able to work properly. It would be no surprise if they would have to scrimp on some luxuries in order to keep the Inn from falling apart. While he was in his thoughts, the residents noticed the grim accessory that he wore on his left wrist; it sent chills down their spine. It was very out of character for the usually cheery, but lately caustic, kanrinin to sport such jewelries.

Motoko, ever the watchful swordswoman inquired, "Kanrinin-san, that is a most unusual piece. Where did you get it?"

"Eh?" Keitaro looked at the necklace Jimmy gave him. He remembered trying to wear on his neck, but it just would not fit. Instead of forcing it, he decided to treat as a bracelet. A decision that he now regretted since questions would be nigh unavoidable. "Well," he needed to find an alibi, and a good one at that, "I just bought from some hawker down the street. Took my fancy you know."

"Huh?" Urashima stared at him in disbelief, "Why so morbid, Original? I won't even touch that with a ten-foot pole."

Everyone nodded in agreement, as if telling Keitaro that the ornament brought nothing but ill fortune; and should be discarded soon.

"I must agree with Urahima," Shinichi said as he adjusted his glasses to have a better look on the bracelet, "It is morbid. Looks like the one who made it did that on purpose. And by the way..." his words trailed off as he eyed the accessory more carefully, "Are those...teeth?"

"Well---"

Keitaro's explanation was cut short by Motoko who suddenly appeared at his side. She was holding his left wrist and was staring at the bracelet with a fiery gaze. "Kanrinin-san, I suggest you throw this away. It seems to emit an aura of different grudges."

"How the hell can a bracelet do that?" Keitaro asked her as he removed his hand from her grasp.

"From the materials used alone, I can feel that there is some sort of...dark force that emanates from the bracelet. It's not that strong, but it would be wise to discard it, unless you invite danger willingly."

"Motoko, I can't just throw away something given by a friend."

"Wait," Makoto lit up with Keitaro's slip of tongue, "I though you said you bought that from a street hawker?"

"_Shit. I should have been more careful."_

Naru stared at him wide-eyed, "You lied?"

"Alright, alright," Keitaro raised his hands in order to calm them down, "Look, a friend of mine just bought it for me, okay? From a street vendor. Now, just because it looks grim to you, does not mean I'm gonna throw it away because you asked to."

"Even if we asked nicely?" Kitsune teases with a smile.

"No, and that's final."

Motoko, however, was not satisfied with the explanation, "Still, it has a disturbing design. And who is the friend who gave you this...gift? Haitani? Shirai?"

"I'm surprised you remembered their names, Motoko."

"Kanrinin-san, you did not answer the question."

Something told Keitaro that no amount of explanation will sate their curiosity. That is when he decided to ditch the nice guy act, he slammed his fists on the table and stood up. "Look," he said with eyes filled with false conviction, "I wear what I want to wear. I don't criticize your clothes or anything. So just let me be." With that said, he stormed out of the dining room, ignoring any further questions.

*****

Finding himself at the roof, Keitaro heaved a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that they bought his act. If they ever knew of Jimmy and his magics, there was no telling of what could happen. Well, there were two possibilities that occurred to him. First, Motoko might want a showdown with the magician; Jimmy's magic, after all, no matter how he looked at it, seemed to have some unholy color. The second possible scenario was that Shinichi, or worse Suu, might try their technological gadgets against Jimmy's magic; a very explosive scenario if that would ever occur.

"Onii-chan?"

Keitaro was broken from his train of thought as the soft voice of his adopted sister came to his ears. He turned around and saw her, sitting next behind him. "Kana-chan, you surprised me. You shouldn't do that, I might fall of the roof."

"I'll catch you anytime."

"Anything you want to talk about, Kana-chan?"

Kanako fidgeted for a while, her eyes seemed to be searching for the right words to say. Keitaro smiled and wrapped his arm around her, "I'm sorry."

This surprised the girl, who sought him to ask an apology. "What do you mean onii-chan? I'm the one who's supposed to be sorry."

"I remembered that day."

"Y-you did?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry onii-chan. I just thought you were so lonely that you---"

Keitaro placed his fingers on her lips, effectively silencing her, "You're my sister, okay? If you really want me to be happy when I'm sad, be a sister to me."

She removed his fingers from her lips and asked, "So I guess, you'll never really see me more than that, huh? What about our promise about the inn?"

He smiled at the mention of their promise to each other. The foolishness and misunderstandings of his young age came back to his mind; the bullheaded idealism of always keeping your word. Promises are not always meant to be fulfilled, a realistic part of his brain told him, more so, if that promise was misunderstood and taken out of context. And he needed to tell that as well to the girl who came to love him as more than a brother. "Kana-chan, listen to me. I remember that promise. I never meant it to be taken that way, you misunderstood me then. Running the inn together? I meant that as brother and sister. Not the way you think."

Kanako became downcast at his words. She removed his hand from her shoulder, "Why onii-chan? Why can't you see me as a woma---"

She was muffled by a sweet and gentle kiss. A kiss filled with so much love, that it would drown those who are unprepared for such a venture. In a brief but shining moment, she felt she was the luckiest and most beautiful woman alive in the world. For she received that touch of intimacy from the man she had always loved. And ,when it was broken, everything went back to where it was. From the look in his eyes, that would be the only time that he will look at her as a woman. Now, she was his sister once again; nothing more, nothing less. Kanako slowly edged away from Keitaro, and in a split-second, disappeared in a frighteningly quick blur. No words were needed anymore; the two of them understood each other's silence.

For his part, Keitaro could only give out a melancholic sigh. He did not like hurting other people's feelings. But somehow, one way or the other, it was the only way in order for people to move on. He looked up high in the heavens, as if asking the moon and the stars to give him some answer.

They gave no such thing.

What he saw, instead, was a thousand fireflies, dancing in the night sky. _"Fireflies?"_ he asked himself with great doubt. The floating wisps of blue flame did look like the nocturnal insects one would see at certain seasons. But there was something off in that picture. Early summer was the firefly season, and that time was already over. More so, fireflies are delicate creatures. They thrive in a environ where pollution is relatively low; places like farms, forests, and mountains—the concrete jungle was no place for them to live. What was more unnatural was the sheer number of the insects. Never in his life had Keitaro seen so many.

Realization came to him like a dagger of ice, stabbed into the spine.

Fireflies were supposed to be yellow; though faint in the light they gave, they were warm like the sun. The things that floated in the night were of a different hue, they were pale, cold, and ghastly blue.

Keitaro removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. As he looked up, he saw that they were gone in an instant. A creeping curiosity made him put back his glasses on. And once again, they were there. A parade of blue wisps, dancing in the night sky; as if trying to compete with the steady stance of the moon and the stars.

Jimmy's words echoed inside his head like a crescendo.

"_Don't worry. You'll see a lot soon enough."_

Hitodama. Those blue flames were called hitodama.

The souls of the dead.

*****

Haruka wore a frown while she was cleaning the teahouse.

There were not much customers that day. But that did not bother her. Business after all, was just like that; there are good times and there are bad. What struck her nerve was the sheer weirdness of the past few days.

Long before it hit the news, Haruka had already heard of strange things happening around Tokyo; a disappearance, a murder, some destroyed property. Those things made no sense, or was not important to her.

Until it came to Hinata City.

It paid to have some good friends among the local police and some not so legal organizations. Especially when it concerned information; something she learned during her days with Seta. But somehow, there was a tinge of regret in the things that she now know.

Of the six victims, only two were revealed by the police. Because the way they died, though sickening, was nothing compared to the other four. The four fatalities in question could have been eight or even sixteen when they were found—because they were limbs apart. But there was something a lot more disturbing when it concerned all of the six victims.

A lock of hair was missing from all of them, and from what her sources say, a small knife, probably a switchblade, was used for the cutting.

Despite being inside the safety of the teahouse, Haruka's skin began to crawl. Her adventuring days with his on and off boyfriend was exciting, but there was no adventure in the thought that a deranged individual was collecting scalps from his victims.

****

Keitaro looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.

Numerous dates have been crossed out. There were only a few more days left before the current month would come to an end. There was small note on the current week's Friday; his meeting with Jimmy. Unlike the last two times, he met up and talked with Jimmy during the night. The sudden change of pace astounded him. They were now to meet in the morning, something that was, perhaps, good, since Haruka forbade him from having a nightly venture. Something told him that the magician knew such events would happen. He could not help but feel a little uneasy at such coincidence. But then again, Jimmy was a magician, such things are to be expected as normal—if that ever applied to magic.

As he went down on his futon, he could not help but recall the heaviness in the air that day. Even inside his room, the atmosphere was unfriendly and suffocating. He tried to console himself by reminiscing the storyline of one of his favorite mangas. The story was about a boy who can pilot a mecha that needed to be synchronized with his brain patterns. He chuckled at himself, there were times when he imagined that he was that boy, that pilot. Then there was this other character, a redheaded girl, which most of the time, reminded him of Naru. What was more hilarious, he thought, was that the two characters' love-hate relationship mirrored his real life. At least, before the clones came.

But that was far away from his mind right now.

What he remembered the most was the organization that handled those two pilots. Their symbol was that of a fig leaf cut in half, with words taken from an English poem.

"_God's In His Heaven...All's Right With The World."_

Keitaro allowed Jimmy's gift, that of a dreamless sleep, to overwhelm him once more.

However, within the iceberg of his consciousness, something stirred. It refused to accept his attempt to think that there was nothing wrong with the world. It screamed at him, berating him for telling himself a lie, a lie that everything would be all right.

Another memory resurfaced.

One of his English classes back in cram-school discussed a play about a murderous and traitorous noble. A noble who had a fiery ambition on becoming a king, that he lost his moral compass along the way.

In the darkness of his dreamless sleep, a single phrase made him shiver.

"_By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."_

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

hitodama – Will o' the wisp in Japanese folklore

The manga in question is Neon Genesis Evangelion, while the play is Macbeth.

Come Friday, in the Shards time-line, the horrible truth would be finally revealed. But first, Jimmy will take the next chapter as another bridge. I know, I know, my OC/SI is getting a lot of airtime, don't worry, I'll try my best not to turn him into a Gary Stu. Cheers people!


	12. Sword and Sorcery

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

12th Chapter online. Just another interlude here folks. The next chapter, Jimmy will finally reveal how and why Kei is connected to the brewing magic war. R&R guys! Cheers!

Abel Nightcross: Maybe 4 or 5 more chapters, it depends, if a chapter is too long I might cut it, thus adding one extra. But then again I may not.

Halo expert: Here it is, the 12th chapter. Well you know what they say, things get worse before it becomes better.

YoungKonoha: One girl in particular.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 12: Sword and Sorcery**

Jimmy stared at his reflection on the see-through window.

Gone was the gray dress suit he would normally wear. It was now replaced with more casual clothing; a dark olive green short-sleeved shirt, distressed gray cargo pants, black rubber shoes, and a battered brown leather jacket. All this had to change because of the news; a gaijin wearing a gray dress suit was said to be spotted near several scenes where gruesome crimes had occurred.

He felt a little shiver inside the coffee shop. The temperature inside was not that really cold. But the lack of other patrons is what made him uncomfortable. Despite not being totally upbeat and social, the magician felt comfortable within a crowd; the sheer number of blank and totally unfamiliar faces was something he always used to his advantage—he became more unnoticeable that way. Now, he was alone, there were no other customers within sight; only the soft, soothing jazz music kept him company. And because of that, as much as he hated to admit it, he felt vulnerable.

"_Why did I come here anyway?"_

The question he asked himself already had an answer. A dream told him to come to that place. No words were spoken between him and the female figure in his sleep. Only pictures of the city. One of them, specifically pointed towards the coffeehouse he was in now.

"_Goddamn dreams. There was something off about that. Like I was being called or something."_

Even though he was used in the world of the supernatural, once in a while, Jimmy preferred the conventional way of things. It was easier that way, explanations can be given, and there were only a few questions to be asked.

"_Well, at least it wasn't a nightmare. Or was it? Red and white clothes? A katana? Slashes? And that..."_

Another Lucky Strike cigarette found its way on his lips. The magician was nervous, it was his fourth pack for that day; he was smoking so hard that he failed to notice that his coffee had gone cold. He looked outside and saw that the sun was already sinking; a white whale bathing in its own red blood. If it was any other day, the tragic sight of the late afternoon would have been beautiful. Not today though, the afternoon reminded him of yesterday's incident with the carnivorous creature.

His musings were cut short by a gentle tap on his shoulder, he turned around and saw the manager.

"Sorry sir, but we're closing already."

Jimmy looked at his watch and commented, "Pretty early, don't you think?"

"With all the serial killer business, most people would hurry back to their houses. Can't blame them for that. Tell you what sir, since you were kind enough to pay a visit at my shop, you get a discount."

"Thanks." gulping the cold and bitter caffeine beverage, Jimmy placed the money on the table and went outside.

One by one, the rays of the sun began to say goodbye. In its place, the moon usurped the throne, not as an imposing burning ball of light, but as a gentle yet ominous figure. Only a few neon lights dared to rival the stars that night, which made the city look darker and grittier. Everywhere, people from all walks of life seemed to be in a hurry, as if their lives were on the line.

For his part, the magician touched the inner pocket of his jacket gave out a sigh a relief as he felt cold barrel of an illegally acquired .38 snubnosed revolver. Ever since he nearly became a creature's dinner, Jimmy made it a point to arm himself. Guns would never do anything against the things he might face, but at least it would slow them down.

Another gust of wind shook his from his musings. He looked around him again, and found that the crowd was getting thinner by the minute. Whispers of getting into the bus, train, or cab dominated the air. Jimmy gave another long tired sigh, _"Times like this are better spent on a bar."_

He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He needed to find the person—the woman—in his dreams and talk to her. Or rather, give her a piece of his mind for making him go out on a useless day. Something told him it may have been the Witch of Dimensions, or maybe not. She had always been a mysterious figure, one he could never hope to comprehend.

When he opened his eyes, the world began to blur. His legs took a life of their own and began to make him walk, in what seemed to be random directions.

After an hour or two, maybe even three, he found himself staring at the coffeehouse that he had left some time ago. Only this time, it was closed, along with the other establishments._"The hell?"_ he thought, _"Here again? Just what the fuck is happening here?"_

"Tough luck. No coffee for ya." a cold, sneering voice said behind him.

Jimmy turned around and saw a very tall and muscular man. Said individual wore a bright orange suit, with an unbuttoned green shirt underneath, showing off several tattoos. The pinky finger on his left hand seemed to have been cut, and his face had a cruel scar on the forehead. No doubt, the numskull was a Yakuza enforcer. But what caught the magician's attention the most, was the extremely long katana that the brute was carrying.

Acting cool with more bark than bite, Jimmy unloaded, "Nice cheese knife you got there. You compensating for the needle between your legs?"

"Nope, not at all," the man said with a killing smile. He unsheathed his katana to the sound of metal kissing wood, "Name's Ichi by the way."

"Well, what do you know, I got two friends who really wants to meet you, Ichi."

"Oh? Beautiful girls?"

"Bearded guys. Names are Smith and Wesson." Without any warning, Jimmy pulled the .38 inside his jacket, and unloaded four consecutive shots. Ichi simply somersaulted, and while in mid-air, deflected the bullets using his katana.

"So much for MythBusters," Jimmy quipped as he saw his enemy's skill.

A one word sentence echoed in his head, the best advice he could have gotten for the day.

Run.

But before his legs could even move an inch, the magician felt a sickening crunch on his ribs. The enforcer slashed him, but he was not cut into two. The impact just sent him a few feet away from his adversary. His vision nearly blacked out because of the pain. "Hurts doesn't it?" Icchi told him, "Don't worry, I won't kill ya that fast."

"Bastard...the blunt side, huh?"

Ichi smiled again, this time, it was more maniacal, "Like it best when I cut people up and they can't move."

Blood came out of Jimmy's mouth as he tried to crawl. Ichi just laughed at the pathetic sight of the magician fighting for his life. "Tell you what," the psycho said, "I'm gonna count to ten before I start beating you. So better make the run for it."

Survival instincts shifting to high gear, Jimmy found an ounce of strength to stand up again—and run. The revolver was still in his hand, though he knew that it was useless, he still kept it just in case an opportunity comes.

From a distance, he heard Ichi's count was already at five. That made Jimmy cock the hammer and run faster, even though his lungs and legs were already failing him. Like before, panic overwhelmed him, and made him commit the same mistake of running in random directions. He ran, and ran, and ran, luckily, he did not find himself in any dead end this time. But he was already tired, his legs buckled, and he fell down on his buttocks; failing to notice that Ichi was behind him all along.

"Hey there, tired already?" the psycho asked in a singsong tone.

Jimmy replied with two more gunshots. The psycho easily dodged them by sidestepping to the left and to the right in rapid succession. Afraid and frustrated, the magician hurled the spent revolver towards Ichi's face, only for it be sliced into several pieces. "Never bring a gun to a sword fight." Ichi said.

The psycho did not waste any time. He gave Jimmy a solid thwack to both arms and kicked him in the head which sent the magician several feet away, hitting a lamppost while landing. Jimmy tried to get up again, but could only cough up blood.

Ichi's maniacal eyes shifted to boredom, "You're no fun. Might as well, slice ya up now." He flicked the katana to its cutting edge and jumped high into the air.

"_Damn,"_ Jimmy thought, _"If I only knew it'll be like this, I would've kept that necklace. But this is the part where someone saves my ass...right?"_

Inches away from certain death, Jimmy heard a calm but steely feminine voice shout, "HIKEN JAKUZANKUSEN!"

A strong gale sent Ichi flying to a corner. Jimmy looked towards the owner of the voice and saw the woman in his dreams. _"Talk about clich__é__s."_

"You!" Jimmy and Tsuruko said in unison.

"Okay then, ladies first." he said while using his knees as support to stand up.

"I saw you in a vision while I was meditating."

"You were in my dreams."

"Still, you look like..." the swordswoman's words trailed off for a moment, "You were expecting someone else."

Ever the flippant bastard, Jimmy replied, "Yeah, Chuck Norris actually."

"WATCH OUT!" Tsuruko shoved the magician just in time to parry a sword strike that was aimed at him.

"More the merrier!" Ichi growled, "Merrier because of a beautiful girl."

"Apologies, but I'm happily married," Tsuruko said with a smile as she launched a counterattack.

Ichi jumped backwards and shifted to a thrusting stance. A stance that the swordswoman immediately recognized. "A Hirazuki? Gatotsu? Impossible! That's limited to the Shinsengumi!"

"Good guess girlie." with that said, Ichi launched himself in a slide to stab Tsuruko. For her part, she only jumped high in the air, cleanly evading the attack. This did not deter the psycho as he simply followed through with a jumping thrust.

Tsuruko quickly realized her mistake. Her enemy did not use ki-based attacks, but the simpleness of the technique and killing intent was enough to make her reconsider. She channeled her ki into her katana once more and released another strike, "HIKEN JAKUZANKUSEN!"

Again, Ichi was deterred by the ki-strike. Landing on the ground with a roll, he laughed as he turned his attention to Jimmy once more. "Come here, pudgy, I'll make mincemeat out of ya!"

Jimmy bolted out from where he stood. While doing that, he reached inside his jacket for another weapon. _"Good thing I still got my sulfur here."_ He came to a stop when Ichi suddenly appeared in front of him. "Oohhh, you can still run, ah? Well let me cut up those knees of yours."

"Not a chance in hell, unclefucker." Jimmy brought out the pouch containing the sulfur and shouted, "HELLFIRE!" With that single word, a torrent of flame exploded from his hands; ready to burn anything it comes to contact with. The Yakuza enforcer tried to shield himself with his katana as the raging inferno dawned onto him.

"HIKEN ZANKUSEN!"

Divine winds interrupted the flow of the infernal flame. It was a short but intense struggle, where in the end, the fire fizzled into the fierce air. Tsuruko's power proved superior. She suddenly appeared at Jimmy's side and said, "You should not kill him."

"Oh, right," the magician's voice dripped with sarcasm, "We should let him kill us!"

"I did not say that."

"Then why the hell did you do that for? And in the first place why do you want him alive?"

"That man is possessed by a vile and evil spirit, that of a corrupt Shinsegumi samurai. Though his character made him susceptible for such body theft, we have no right to lay down such judgment and be executioners."

"Hey!" Ichi interrupted, "You're forgetting about me!"

Jimmy asked his newfound ally, "Okay, so we don't kill him. What do you want to do?"

"I will exorcise the spirit. But I need the possessed to be bound, for if I miss, I would waste a great deal of my energy."

Looking around, Jimmy saw a small fashion boutique, "See that shop?" he pointed with his thumb, "Give me some time to get inside there, I might be able to cook something bad."

Tsuruko nodded, "Very well, I'll hold him off then."

Once again, the magician broke into a pained hop towards the boutique. Ichi noticed this and quickly sprang towards his direction, only to be stopped by Tsuruko. "Fight me, you pathetic excuse of a samurai."

Ichi growled in a very diabolic voice, "Out of the way bitch, I'm more interested in him."

"That sorcerer? He poses no threat to you."

"You don't need to know!" Ichi gave out a guttural scream as he attacked Tsuruko with another Gatotsu. She simply evaded by sidestepping, and when Ichi followed through with a slash, she simply ducked and answered him back with the blunt side of her katana.

Meanwhile, Jimmy was struggling with the locked glass door. With no such luck in opening it, he took off his jacket, wrapped it around his elbow, and tried to smash the glass. It ended in failure. The magician let out a good number of expletives as he nursed his sore limb. He was about to try again when he heard Tsuruko scream out another of her ki-based attacks and saw Ichi crash inside through the large display window.

Jimmy looked to the swordswoman and said, "You're gonna get me killed."

"Get inside. With his long blade he will be at a disadvantage, there I can take control of this battle."

Looking towards the shattered glass, the magician quipped, "Ladies first."

Tsuruko did not need to be told twice, she immediately jumped through the broken glass and confronted her enemy. Due to the cramped space inside, Ichi did not bother to use the Gatotsu anymore, he simply waved his katana in a blind rage, hoping to overpower the swordswoman. This only served to infuriate the Tsuruko, who due to the same circumstances, could only parry the blows; fearing that a ki-strike might take Jimmy as collateral damage.

While the two exchanged blades, the magician simply looked around the store. He already found one of the components for his spell: a stainless steel mirror on wheels. _"Well, it's not made of glass, but anything that gives a reflection would do. Now..."_ his thoughts trailed on as he began to recklessly rummage through numerous fashion accessories. Frustration traced itself on his face as he plowed through eyeliners, mascaras, nail polish, concealers, and almost every item of assorted cosmetics and tools.

Then he finally found what he was looking for. One of the display racks had a good number of lipsticks. _"Now, what I need is a red one."_ Again, he recklessly rummaged through the different items of vanity, but failed in his search. _"Damn it! Cherry red, pinkish red, autumn red, royal red; they don't look fucking red at all!"_ he looked at the mirror and saw the blood on his lips, _"Well, I better fucking improvise."_ Jimmy began to violently pound his chest in order for him to cough up some blood; after two or three hits, the expected result came. Treating his finger as a marker and his blood as ink, he traced several diagonal lines connected to each other on the mirror. _"There. Now all I need is to show this to that bastard."_

Looking to where the were fighting, the magician pushed the mirror near them and called Ichi's attention, "Hey, unclefucker! Take a good look at yourself!"

Ichi looked towards Jimmy's direction and fell for the trap. Panic became evident in the Yakuza enforcer's eyes when he saw his reflection. The magician wasted no time and shouted, "BIND!" The blood on the mirror began to glow an unholy red, and at the same time, red tendrils of mystical energy began to envelope Ichi. The psycho tried to move but found it useless, the spell held him tight.

Tsuruko took the sight of the bound enemy as a cue. Taking a step back, she channeled her ki into her katana and unleashed it, "OUGI ZANMAKEN!" A white, divine flash of energy consumed Ichi, making him convulse for a second or two. When the lights returned to normal, he was on the ground, unconscious but breathing.

"Impressive." Jimmy said as he walked over the man who was possessed a while ago.

"He will live, but it would take him some time to recover. After all, he led an evil life," Tsuruko pointed the tip of her katana at Jimmy's throat, "Now tell me, I had visions of you wearing a gray suit. And now, you wear a different set of clothes."

"Just felt that I needed a change. Is that so bad?"

"The news told of a man in a gray suit that loitered in places where murders had occurred. Now, you had a change of clothes. It serves to fuel suspicion."

"Now, now," the magician stepped back and picked up a piece of cloth on the floor, "I'm not a saint, but I'm no psycho killer either." He showed her the torn piece of clothing and asked, "This yours?"

Tsuruko looked at her white gi and noticed that there was a tear on the left shoulder. "Perhaps, one of my enemy's attacks must have torn a part of my clothes and I didn't notice."

Jimmy only whispered one word, "Constrict."

In an instant, Tsuruko felt her body become stiff, her clothes seemed to be getting tighter and tighter, especially around her mid-section. She realized that her clothes seemed to have obtained a life of its own and was giving her a bear hug. Tsuruko tried to raise her arms to attack Jimmy, but it only made her situation worse; her clothes just got tighter and heavier, preventing any movement.

"It'll only knock you out." Jimmy said. She looked at him and sensed no killing intent from the magician. His eyes only showed a strange hint of regret, "This game is already fucked up. I don't need anymore people playing it." With that said, Tsuruko passed out due to the lack of air.

A singsong tone broke the silence of the dead night. Jimmy took out the toy cellphone and answered, "Don't tell me I have to bring you to another coffee date for this one Yuko."

"No, not at all," the witch on the other line answered, "But the man that tried to kill you. He carried a nodachi, yes?"

"What the hell is that?"

"The very long katana."

"Eh? Is it cursed? The guy got possessed."

"Do not worry Jimmy, it will not be able to harm you."

"So I guess, that's the payment for that dream, huh?"

"Yes. You will hear from me again in another time Jimmy. Please take care. Bye-bye." Yuko said as the other line went dead.

Jimmy could only give out an exasperated sigh, he was nearly killed—again. But he was lucky that another woman saved his life, not that he really did mind. He felt his bruises sting a little, if it was not for the adrenaline rush, he would be on his knees right now. As he looked on the sight of the recent battle, he saw the unconscious swordswoman and thought, _"I must do something about her."_

*****

Tsuruko woke up with a gasp, instinctively clutching to her side where a katana should be. She found that it was placed on a white table. As she looked around some more, she realized that she was in a hospital room. Her head began to ache a little, it felt as if something had been pulled out of her mind. Memories of a recent battle flushed her memory; a possessed man trying to kill a sorcerer, and her, exorcising the former and saving the latter.

What was strange was that no matter how hard she tried, she could not recall the face or the voice of the magician. It was as if her memory of him was erased entirely. A sudden realization hit her—it was erased. Somehow, she had been a victim of a memory spell. Her teeth gritted at that knowledge, but she let it go, it was useless. The only thing she could do now was to recuperate and go to Hinata Inn and make sure that her sister and her friends are safe.

*****

Inside the bathroom of a cheap hotel, Jimmy was swimming in a puddle of his own puke. Regret raged inside his head when he remembered the difficulty of breaching the swordswoman's mental defenses. _"Damn, I wish there was another way to do that. I don't believe this, that Urashima Keitaro knows a lot of interesting women."_

Getting up, he massaged his head to relieve himself of the magically inflicted migraine. He felt another surge of liquids come out of his throat; then he puked again on the toilet. He remembered that when he breached the kanrinin's mind, the image that described it best was a messy teenager's room. Disorganized and disheveled, yet, as paradoxical as it sounded, there was some order in that chaos.

Tsuruko was an entirely different story. Her mind was completely calm and collected, to the point of divine serenity. And that was the problem. Jimmy needed to only pluck out one single memory so as not to damage her being—at his cost. The image that she projected was a thousand acre vineyard of world-class quality grapes. And the memory that he needed to remove was a single, tiny, piece of fruit. One that did not even look different from the rest.

Jimmy dragged himself to bed. Pain was all over his body, but it slowly subsided, when he fell asleep. Inside the darkness of his mind, there was another thought that bothered him.

"_Things would have been easier if I killed that boy right then and there."_

______________________

**Author's Notes:**

Hirazuki – left handed stab

Gatotsu – an attack invented by the Shinsengumi; based on a real fighting style, but fictionalized in this chapter

Shinsengumi – a samurai group under the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the revolutionaries during the late shogunate period in Japan

Ichi – I just got the name from the movie "Ichi the Killer", supposedly based on a manga, but I haven't found or read it.

Nodachi – a very long katana, used as an anti-cavalry weapon; looks cool but is quite ineffective in real fights

Hiken Jakuzankusen – Lesser Air-Cutting Flash

Hiken Zankusen – Air-Cutting Flash

Ougi Zanmaken – Evil-Cutting Sword

I don't know if I got Tsuruko's powers correctly, but the manga described her as an exorcist, and I somewhat interpreted the Zanmaken as something that will kill demons and evil spirits without harming the human host. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Concerning the corrupt samurai spirit being a member of the Shinsengumi; well, they had some corrupt members who were supposedly killed by Saito Hajime.

Jimmy's binding spell was inspired by an episode of Ghosts at School anime. The heroine used a red lipstick and a mirror to bind a violent ghost and that's where I got the idea. The analogy of the vineyard and memory is something I got from Heroes and the character called the Haitian who can erase memories.

That's it for now people. The next chapter might take quite some time, since the story is nearing the end. And I'm preparing all the necessary explanations for any mysteries left. Cheers! See you next chapter. ;)


	13. Flatliners

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

13th Chapter here. Not much to say, but this is the beginning of the end. When all hell totally breaks loose. By the way, can you guess who makes a cameo here? Cheers! R&R people!

Halo expert: Even before the psychos his life was in constant danger—in Hinata Inn.

Abel Nightcross: Here he is then. And this is the part where the truth comes out.

Zeroeye: Thanks. You might get confused on this one, but there will be more explanations next chapter.

YoungKonoha: Kei will shine. But maybe, not in the way you might expect.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 13: Flatliners **

Keitaro felt that he became a ready-to-eat sandwich.

Haruka, who was in front of him, became both the incisors and canines; ready to pierce and tear him apart. On his back were the Hinata girls and his clones, serving as the molars; the ones who will grind him to a pulp. He knew that doing a Houdini would only cause trouble. It was evident from their stares that they would not allow him to leave without some answers.

Keitaro was about to speak when Makoto cut him in, "You skipped breakfast again Keitaro-kun. But not your cigarettes."

"We've got classes today." Naru added with a frown, "Don't tell me you're cutting classes again."

"And," Motoko piped in, "You're still wearing that damnable bracelet."

Kitsune noticed his clothes and grinned. "You're looking good today. Wearing a suit again? You got a date this early in the morning?"

Sensing an opportunity to get out of his dilemma, Keitaro used the fox's statement to his advantage. "Yeah. Brunch right? That's what they call it? So that's why I didn't eat breakfast and the same reason for skipping class."

"What about the bracelet kanrinin-san? Most girls would be horrified at the sight of it, yes?"

"Oh, this?" Keitaro pointed to the accessory, "Well, she doesn't mind."

Haruka asked, "What time will you be back?"

"I promise it won't take long."

They all decided that they were satisfied with his answers. Even though they felt that he was still hiding something from them.

"All right then, be sure to be home before dark." Haruka reminded Keitaro as he passed her. "You have heard the news right?"

"Yeah." Keitaro walked towards the door and wore his shoes. "Bye everyone. See you all later." Without even a look back, the karinin blasted away at full speed; quickly disappearing from their sights.

An irritated sigh came out of Motoko, one that did not go unnoticed by her boyfriend. "What's the problem Mo-chan?"

"His bracelet, Isamu-kun. It worries me."

"What about the bracelet?" Haruka asked. "I noticed it was pretty grim. But there's not much to worry about it."

"It's only that..." the swordswoman paused for a while, as if gathering some sort of courage to continue.

"Well?" Haruka pressed with furrowed eyebrows.

"Well," Motoko continued, "Last night, I took a good look at the materials. And I was a little disturbed. The teeth that Shinichi mentioned, were indeed taken from humans. I know because its texture was different from plastic."

Everyone grimaced at the revelation. Kitsune then spoke, "Some people I know keep their teeth around. If I remember it right, Sarah kept one of her tooth when it fell. Saying that a fairy will turn it into money."

"Eh?" Naru's voice was one of surprise. "Sarah is American, and from what I read in some books, American kids have that kind of belief."

"Well, Original is a hundred percent Japanese." Urashima noted.

"So that would be quite illogical. Cultural differences would dictate that." Shinichi concluded.

"Please let me finish." Motoko's tone contained concern and urgency combined. "Human teeth were not the only things that I noticed. The strings were made out of hair, and not animal hair, but human hair."

Haruka's ever present cigarette fell from her lips, her eyes and mouth spelling shock all over her face.

"Haruka-san? Are you okay?" Makoto asked.

"Mokoto..." Haruka spoke with a slightly disturbed voice, "Are you sure the string was made out of human hair?"

"Yes. And not just one single hair. There were even different colors."

Haruka was about to speak again when the phone rang. "I'll get it!" Shinobu said as she went to answer, "Hinata Inn, good morning."

"Well, good morning also, Shinobu-han, am I correct? This is Tsuruko calling, is Motoko there?"

"Yes, please wait for a moment Tsuruko-san," Shinobu turned to the swordswoman, "Motoko-senpai, it's your elder sister."

Motoko quickly glided to the phone. "Yes ane-ue?"

"Motoko, have you ever encountered some disturbances around the area surrounding Hinata Inn?"

"None, ane-ue," a worried frown came to her face, "But the news told of several disturbing murders around Hinata City. As for the murderer, I have no news yet. My immediate concern is the safety of my friends at the Inn."

"Very well then," Tsuruko replied, "Since I already came here from Kyoto. I might as well pay you a visit.

"A visit? That is most unexpected. Right now?"

"No. I still have some investigations to do. I will be there late afternoon or early evening."

"Very well then, ane-ue, please take care."

"Same goes to you, Motoko." with that said Tsuruko hanged up.

"What was that about Motoko?" Naru inquired.

"Tsuruko would be coming over for a visit."

"I hope she would be here to help," Haruka said as she picked up her fallen cigarette. "I don't feel so good about that bracelet and the recent murders."

"Eh?" Both girls and the clones exclaimed together. Finding the statement somewhat confusing and alarming at the same time.

Haruka hugged herself a little as she went on, "There were six people who got killed right? You've heard of them in the news?"

All of them could only respond with a nod.

"Well, from what I've heard from some friends in the police..." Haruka took a drag before she continued, "All the victims were missing a lock of hair."

Motoko's insides went cold. "Haruka san. The hair, how was it cut? With a scissor or with a knife?"

"With a knife, a small one. A switchblade they said."

"That's the same kind of cut I noticed in that bracelet."

Each and every one of them could only gasp. Their kanrinin was wearing something that was collected from dead people. Fear and confusion gripped them all. They all remembered that fateful Sunday evening when Keitaro's temper suddenly exploded. Not to forget that, the night before that, he went on a drinking spree and came home late. Something crawled inside their heads, urging them to come to a conclusion that Keitaro was connected to murders; but they shrugged it off. Their kanrinin have been a short-fuse as of late, but they all knew he was no killer.

A plan was quickly formed. No words were needed, they all agreed with the looks on their eyes. Keitaro must be returned to Hinata Inn. And perhaps he might have to be interrogated for his own good.

One by one they got back to their rooms and got dressed. They met each other again at the bottom of the Hinata steps. And without any more disagreements, they went out to look for Keitaro.

But one girl was missing.

She was still in her room; a faithful recreation of her homeland with its tropical trees and plants. Inside that artificial jungle, Kaola Suu was in her bed, alone and gasping for air.

*****

Jimmy looked like hell.

Without the aid of his concealment spell, he was now fair game for onlookers as he sat on one of the benches in the park. Despite that, most people still chose to look away. Several children would come to gawk at him, only to be ushered away by their fearful mothers. The others who saw him kept asking themselves if he was a victim of a random beating by hooligans.

What they though about him was not really off the mark. The magician barely survived his confrontation with Ichi; he did come out alive, but not without injury. A bruised and swollen face, a black eye, two arms and several ribs suffering from blunt force trauma, a cut lip, and top it off, a head splitting migraine were the things that he got from last night's "battle".

Feeling some of the pain kicking in, Jimmy took out a bottle of painkillers and chewed a good amount of pills. He cursed under his breath, as the medicine burned bitterly down his throat. Looking up, he saw that the sun was slowly getting higher and brighter in the sky.

"You look like hell, Jimmy." Keitaro said as he walked towards the bench and sat near the magician.

"And you still look like someone who'd go to a freaking funeral."

"Ha, ha, what happened to you? Somebody beat you up? Where's the gray suit? I'm not quite used to seeing you in casual clothes."

"Well," Jimmy smiled, "Some lazy fart decided he wanted to wear a gray suit. Hired some of his goons to beat me up and strip me naked. Good thing there was a Salvation Army depot near here where I got these clothes of mine now. So there, story of my life."

"You're shitting me right?"

"Occupational hazards of being a magician. Now come on," Jimmy looked at his watch and noticed that it was already quarter to eleven, "I better bring you to that friend of mine. Let's walk."

Keitaro stood up and followed the magician. It was a slow walk, owing to the fact that Jimmy was injured. But that did not stop them from engaging in small talk while smoking their cigarettes. "So," Keitaro began, "Who's this friend of yours anyway?"

"He's an American. Name's Nelson." Jimmy mouthed off as he lit another one of his Lucky Strikes. "He's a doctor."

"Jimmy, if I needed a check-up I can always go to some hospital."

"He's a different kind of doctor. Can help explain that immortality of yours."

"By the way," Keitaro noticed that a lot of people were staring. "What happened to that magic of yours? We're getting a lot of odd looks here."

"Kid, I'm in no condition to waste my energies for that spell. Besides, sometimes, the best way to keep a low profile is to be quite fucking obvious."

"As in getting beaten up?"

Jimmy gave Keitaro the finger which only made the younger man laugh. The magician then asked a question, "Remember our talk about revenge?"

"Yeah. What about it? Wait..." the kanrinin eyed his companion with a smiling look. "Let me guess, once upon a time..."

A hearty but pained chuckle came out of Jimmy as he continued the story.

*****

"There was this guy, about to get married. Problem is, he got a tough deal. The bride stood him up at the church. Well, what do you know? The poor bastard was devastated. Who wouldn't be? He knew he was gonna be very happy on the role he was about to play. But reality just turned around and fucked him good in the ass. No use in crying in front of a damn congregation, he just went home, and drowned himself with a friendly bottle of gin. Bad luck after bad luck happened then. You see, he owned quite a lot; a company here or there, a good number of shares, etcetera and etcetera. To make the long story short, in a few months time, he found himself penniless. And without the money, he got no friends anymore."

"Enter the Man in Black. Well, let's call him an agent, shall we? So this guy, this agent, comes knocking at his door, and gives the usual offer you can't refuse. Before the man could even say no, the agent told him what he was selling."

"Revenge."

"The agent shows him an briefcase that contained a .45 caliber semiautomatic, a hundred rounds, and damnable and irrefutable proof about a certain person. Said person was the one responsible for his misery; the fucked up wedding and the loss of business. Now here, is the most fucked up thing you can ever imagine. It was the man's father who machinated his downfall. His own father. Why? Seems quite shallow really. All for the love of a woman. You see, the dad fancied the wife-to-be, so using his old charms and little bit of green, he got the woman to run off with him."

"And here comes the best part. The agent says that if he wanted to, he could kill them both. He doesn't even have to worry about any of the legalities. Provided that he kills them with that gun and the bullets he gave him. No fucking courts, as in no nothing, will ever touch him. No police force or any investigative or judicial institution will hold him into account. He'll get off as a free man, smelling like a rose."

*****

Unable to contain his suspension of disbelief, Keitaro interrupted, "For all you know, that agent guy was just messing up with his head."

"Well," Jimmy lighted another cigarette before he continued, "He decided to test it out. One day he was walking, gun in hand, when a junkie grabs some old lady's purse. Without even blinking, he shot the bastard square in the face."

"What happened?"

"Well, he got arrested."

"So that's it?"

"Nope. After a few minutes in the station, the brass in charge lets him off. No complaints filed whatsoever."

"Yeah, right."

"Well, he couldn't believe it either. So, he spends the first fifty bullets gunning down some low life thugs he finds in the streets." Jimmy took a long drag and exhaled, "No fucking difference. They still let him off. That's the time he decided to kill his old man, and the woman who jilted him."

"Jimmy," Keitaro again interrupted as he lit a Mild Seven, "Is this story for real?"

"Talk about yourself then. You got split up into six and live with the most dangerous women alive."

"Point taken."

"Okay then, so where were we? Ah yeah, he decided to kill the two fuckers. Well, the opposite just fucking happened."

"Well, what happened?"

"When he got there, he saw his old man attached to some sort of ice cream machine. He figured out that it was the only thing keeping his father alive. So, filial emotions brimming up to the fill, he decides not to kill the old fart."

"And his wife?" Keitaro shook his head at the mistake, "I mean, his supposed bride?"

"Left her alive too. He just walked away. Gave back the gun and bullets to the agent. And started another line of business. It was small, but it made his life a little bit more comfortable."

A small sigh of relief came out from the kanrinin. "Well, at least this one's got a happy ending."

"Well..." a guilty smile traced itself on the magician's face. "Actually it doesn't."

Keitaro groaned, instead of saying another word, he just waited for Jimmy to continue.

"The guy got killed in the end. Ordered by the old man himself." Jimmy chuckled, "Come to think of that, the father killing the son. Fucked up eh?"

"You know, spending time with you might make me more and more cynical about the world."

"Just some food for thought. I mean if you were in the same stitch, would you kill the one responsible for making your life miserable?"

"I already told you about the girl from hell right?"

"Well, yeah." Jimmy paused to throw his cigarette at a nearby trash bin, then he took another one and lighted it up. "Fuck that. Fuck hell for a while Taro. Fuck heaven too. For a moment let's just stay grounded to earth. Okay?"

"Okay then."

"So would you do it? Will you have your revenge? Remember, provided you kill that person using that gun and those bullets, you'll never go to prison."

"But then what?" Keitaro asked.

"Nothing." Jimmy replied. "Nothing. No medals for ridding the scum of the earth. No prison terms either, to punish you for your crime." The magician stopped walking and the kanrinin did the same.

Jimmy gave Keitaro a hard look, one that disturbed the young man. Gone was the cheery beads of black that he usually saw. It was now more neutral, with a certain glint of cruelty that he might have never seen before. "Well?" the magician asked.

Before Keitaro could even Jimmy cut him in, "Remember, no rewards or punishment. Perhaps, the only thing you'll get would be the grim satisfaction of closure."

Closing his eyes, the kanrinin tried—and tried hard—to find an answer.

None came.

A wistful sigh escaped from Keitaro as he opened his eyes and said, "I don't know. I guess I'll only know when I really find my in the same situation."

"Soon enough I guess."

"What?"

"Nothing."

With the story ended, the two walked in silence. When they reached a certain intersection, Jimmy looked at his watch and commented, "We're five minutes early."

"For what?"

"The van. My friend will be picking us up."

"I see---" before the kanrinin could even continue, the two of them heard several voices shout one name.

"KEITARO!"

Haruka, along with the clones and the rest of the Hinata girls were on the far side of the street. Their eyes were bulging out with anger and disappointment. Keitaro remembered what he told them earlier, which made him slap himself at his stupidity.

"Let me guess Taro," Jimmy said while lighting another cigarette, "You lied. Now you're caught."

"Jimmy we have to leave! And fast!"

"Relax. My friend is already here." the magician pointed to a black van running way above the speed limit. Its door slid open, and without any preamble, Jimmy grabbed Keitaro and jumped inside the vehicle that only slowed for a fraction of a second.

"DAMN!" Haruka shouted, obviously disgusted with her nephew's lie. She failed to notice that she was already chewing her cigarette to a bloody pulp. "I thought he was out on a date?"

"Well," Urashima chuckled nervously, "Maybe that was his date."

"Au, senpai. Don't tell jokes like that." Shinobu sniffed.

"Oh, c'mon," Aoi butted in, "Maybe who knows---"

He was not able to continue when Haruka's pounded him with her harisen. "I know my nephew very well. Did somebody get the license plate of that van?"

They all shook their heads. Shinichi then pointed out, "I think there were no plates at all."

"Well, what about the Keitaro tracker?" Naru, Motoko, Kanako, and Kitsune chimed together.

"Of course! But that means we'll have to go back at Hinata Inn." Makoto said.

Groans and grumbles from left and right filled the air. Nonetheless, the group was hell-bent on getting Keitaro back. And after that, questions will follow—and answers will be expected.

*****

Inside the speeding van, Keitaro allowed himself to voice out his relief. "That was a close call. If they caught me, I would've been dragged back to the Inn and interrogated."

"What did you tell them anyway?"

"I was out for some brunch date."

"Figures." Jimmy looked at the driver and said, "Hey Nelson, this is the boy I was talking about. As usual, no need for much names. Just call him Taro."

Nelson simply nodded his head, never taking his eyes off the road. Once again, Keitaro felt a little out of place. The driver's attitude reminded him of the time when he and Jimmy first met. Due to the dark tint of the windows, no sunlight came in, Keitaro had no idea what the driver's full appearance was; apart from the fact that he was a blond Caucasian.

An hour or two passed before they reached their intended destination. Keitaro noticed that during the trip, the driver made several twists and turns; and the more he tried to remember a place, the more Nelson made him dizzy. When he finally gave up, that was when the roads became straighter and the trip faster. With such display of ability, the kanrinin wondered if he was truly a doctor. The way he drove reminded him of the spy films he watched in the past; the speed was fast when there were no cops, but painfully slow when among them.

The three of them got out of the van unenthusiastically, the trip have somehow dulled their energies. It was only this time that Keitaro noticed his surroundings. They were still in Hinata City, but this part of the city seemed desolate. Only stray cats and dogs walked around, despite the busy time of noon. Noises were limited to the factories and numerous generators that surrounded the place.

"We're here." Nelson said in a flat tone while pointing to the warehouse in front of them. it was like any other building in that area; gray, dull, and lifeless. Turning around and looking up in the sky, Nelson seemed to murmur, "It's a good day to die."

Keitaro was unnerved by the statement; more so, now that he had a better view of Nelson. From what Jimmy said, the man was supposed to be a doctor, but he did not look the part. Either Jimmy was lying, or he was just seriously mistaken. From the way Nelson stood, the way he walked, his face, and body build; he looked more of a counter-terrorist that would shoot someone's wife in order to get some answers.

"Let's get in." Nelson said as he unlocked the door. Both Keitaro and Jimmy followed without saying anything.

Inside, there were two simple metal beds and numerous medical equipment. The kanrinin recognized the machines; they were all used in a hospital. _"Strange,"_ he thought. _"Why set up something like so far in the city?"_

"Hey Taro! Have a drink first," Jimmy threw a plastic bottle of water at him, "You're gonna need it."

"Okay." the kanrinin took off the cap and gulped the drink. But half-way along the bottle, he seemed to have hesitated—and for a good reason. The moment the water reached his tongue, his world went a little hazy and the voices of Jimmy and Nelson felt so painful to hear.

Darkness.

"That was some serious sedative you gave him Nelson. He didn't even get to finish his water."

"Let's get to work Jimmy. I don't know what you're plans are. But I'm pretty interested in this one." Nelson said as he wore surgical gloves and began to rummage among syringes.

"What are you looking for?"

"Potassium chloride."

"Right, you got what I asked of you?"

Yeah." Nelson pointed to a corner where there was a circle of salt. Outside the circle three red and fat candles stood, all arranged in a triangle. "All you got to do is light it up."

"Let's do this then."

*****

Fear began to worm its way through all of Keitaro's senses.

Wherever he was, it was dark. There was nothing to be afraid of the dark, he knew that very well. If he had been a kid, then maybe he would be crying right now, wailing for his mother to fetch him. But he was now a young man, his mother and father, had effectively disowned him due to his dreams of getting to Toudai. But that was not important to him right now. Because no matter how much happy or sad memories he would try to conjure, he could only feel fear.

A sudden jolt of pain ripped through his chest.

One by one, he remembered—although, against his will—all of the things that happened before it came to that point.

He felt that he was watching a movie. A movie about his own life. _"This is just like when Jimmy tried to show me that things that I forgot."_ he thought. However, the memories did not start at his childhood years. Instead, it began in the present, then it played in rewind; forward steps in reverse.

Jimmy was there, talking to his past self, buying him drinks and cigarettes; that was his first meeting with the magician. Everything began to blur, the images contorted, then he found himself looking at another familiar scene. Once again, he saw his past self, sitting alone and confused on the cold concrete street; he was surrounded by the girls who were hugging him, or rather, the clones. It shifted again, he was now looking at Suu; she had some weird machine in front of him then it flashed.

Darkness consumed his senses once more. Remembering what the magician taught him, Keitaro concentrated hard in order to materialize his memories. Soon enough, he saw his past self, again, jumping with joy along the beaches of a tropical island; celebrating his acceptance to Toudai.

Once again, a sharp jolt of pain stabbed his chest. The shift in his memories became faster, almost brutal in its speed. He saw himself flying into the sky, courtesy of Narusegawa&Aoyama Airlines. He saw that scene play and play again, though different in some points; they were all the same.

Memories of high-school invaded the images. Girls would usually tease him, laugh at him, or just outright ignore him. During the school dances, he was partnered with boys—never a girl. With those, images, melancholy seeped into the heart of the kanrinin.

Finally, he found himself inside an operating room. In the bed, his mother was giving birth to him. However, the nurses and the doctors were not trying to get him out, or rather that is how he saw it, he was being pushed back into the womb instead. A sad chuckle escapes Keitaro, it was weird, very weird, to see his memories play out like a DVD. And to make it much worse, all of the scenes were being played in reverse—in rewind.

Something stirred in his head, that of a distant and long forgotten memory. _"I think it was some sort of saying. Goes like, when you die, your life flashes before your very eyes."_ he chuckled a nervous chuckle, unsure of why he remembered that line.

As if to make matters worse, his surroundings became dark again; but not as dark as before. Out in the distance, there was a shimmering light.

"_The light? The light at the end of the tunnel?"_

Keitaro felt happy.

There was something in that happiness that seemed unusual. He was never this happy before. This feeling of happiness was much greater, greater to the one he felt when he passed for Toudai, if not, it was the greatest sort of happiness. A happiness, one will never experience while living.

"_The light...I want to go there. I want to go to the light. I want to be so happy. Free from all the pain, from the hurt, from the loneliness..."_

A slight pause came to him.

"_I want to be free from being alive."_

There was a shout. A familiar voice calling to him. Telling him...

"YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH! DON'T GO TO THE LIGHT! GODDAMNIT! NOT THE LIGHT! TARO! YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU DIRTY EXCUSE FOR A MOTHERFUCKER! DON'T GO TO THE LIGHT!"

Keitaro turned around and found the magician floating towards him. Jimmy was wearing his gray suit again, while advancing towards him.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Keitaro exclaimed as he saw Jimmy. "You're floating! And hey you're wearing that suit again!"

"No time for that. Come on, it's time to go back. Or else you'd---" Jimmy suddenly stopped floating. A silver string glowed behind and began to violently pull him back. "Oh shit, it took me too long to get here. Hey, Taro!"

"Yes Jimmy?"

"Listen to me good, okay? Don't go to the light. Okay? You mustn't, oh shit---" Jimmy was yanked out of Keitaro's sight. The silver cord dragging the magician violently, as if telling to go back to where he came from.

As for the Kanrinin, he turned around again and saw the shimmering portal in front of him.

"_So happy...I want to go there. I want---"_

*****

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Smoke enveloped Keitaro's nostrils, he recognized that smell, it was the smell of cigarettes of a particular brand—Lucky Strike. He saw Jimmy sitting on a bench, blowing another puff smoke before hissing. "Yeeeessss."

"What the hell happened?" Keitaro asked. He felt weak and weary, as if he did a whole month of work without rest. He noticed that, unlike before, Jimmy was wearing casual clothes, not the gray suit he saw when he was in, what he thought of as, a dream.

"Not much. You just flatlined. Dead for approximately thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes?" Keitaro nearly shouted at the top of his lungs. Looking around, he saw that it was already late afternoon; with the sun giving out a red color, ready for dusk. "What's the time?"

"Five-thirty."

Keitaro stood up and said "Where are we now?"

"Back at Hinata Park. We've been here for around an hour or so. Nelson dropped us off here. Helped me put you in a bench while you slept like a log."

"I slept in that bench? No wonder my head and body hurts." the kanrinin winced a little as he held his chest. "Damn, I feel like I can't breath of something."

"One clip or rather, thirteen rounds of a .357 was emptied on your chest in order to kill you. Not to mention the insane amounts of potassium chloride he pumped you up with to maintain your flatline."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me."

"Jimmy..." Keitaro stepped back a little due to his confusion. "Just what the hell are you talking about?"

Taking another drag, the magician answered, "You died. But Nelson did a fine job bringing you back to the living. One hell of a doctor, huh?"

"Look," Keitaro pointed his finger at the magician, "I'm getting tired of this guessing games. Just answer me straight. What the hell happened? Why do you say that I died?"

Jimmy threw the half-spent Lucky and stood up. "Looks like I better play with a full deck. To put it simply, I'm not playing you around. You died, Taro. You were clinically dead for almost thirty minutes, then I had you brought back."

"H-how? N-no. That's impossible."

"No it's not. It's not impossible. The fact that you're still here means that it's very possible."

"What do you mean by that Jimmy?"

Jimmy sighed. He was tempted to light another stick but decided not to. As if telling himself that the cancer sticks would only get in his way of telling the truth.

The truth.

"Taro, did you remember what happened back there? When you were 'unconscious'?"

"Yeah. You were there. You told me..." Keitaro held his had to his mouth as he remembered.

"Right. Don't go to the light, eh? That's one proof that you died."

"But I was brought back."

"And you remembered. Not like the first time."

"The first time? Jimmy just spit it out, okay?" the kanrinin bellowed, obviously angry because of the confusion and ignorance that he felt.

"If you went to that light, you would've found yourself in Heaven. And if that happened, you would've forgotten everything about the place and the trip."

"You're not making any sense Jimmy."

"Back then, when you were reintegrated, did you remember anything?"

Keitaro paused for a while, searching his memories, recollecting them. "All I remember was that I was looking at something. Suu's invention. Then there was a flash. Then...I just saw that there were six others just like me...my clones."

"But between those two events, you remember nothing, am I right?"

"No, everything just flashed, went to black, and flashed again."

Well..." Jimmy trailed off before going on, "That was because you got inside Heaven."

"Stop treating me like I'm an idiot Jimmy!" Keitaro boomed. "I'm not an idiot! Only dead people---" he was not able to continue. Somehow, the kanrinin seemed to have realized something.

Jimmy finally indulged his nicotine addiction, he took out his pack and lit one of the sticks. Breathing deep and breathing hard, he held his voice for a while, as if waiting for the right moment to speak.

"Out with it Jimmy," Keitaro hissed, "Just tell me what hell is really going on."

Once again, the magician took a drag from his Lucky. "Back then, when you got split up. When that mad scientist of a princess used that machine to experiment on you..."

Keitaro did not interrupt Jimmy anymore, he simply waited, while a monstrous and carnivorous plant called Fear, was eating his heart out.

Jimmy's words echoed like a crescendo; faint yet loud at the same time, so near yet so far to be heard.

"You died that day."

___________________

**Author's Notes:**

What to expect: Just some longer update time and explanations. If you think that there are some muddy parts, please speak up now. The 14th chapter will try to close all the doors, well partially, about the mysteries of the clones and Keitaro's return. In a way, chapter 14 will explain how I interpreted them. So if you think that I might miss something, let me know.

By the way, Jimmy's story in this chapter was inspired by the 100 Bullets series. It's still ongoing, a pity that I only managed to read three story arcs. The stories are very mature in content, and I highly recommend it to those who like film noir and hard boiled detective stories.

P.S.

Kiefer Sutherland. Look for his movie filmography and the chapter title and you'll know why.


	14. Questions and Answers

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

This one turned out to be a little faster that I thought it would. A warning though, this chapter is very heavy in dialogue. Just a little quip, try reviewing the first two interludes with Jimmy, chapters 6 and 9, so you won't be that confused. Cheers! R&R people!

windybreeze: Well, I used to write short stories that don't go past 3k words, anyway, this one might get you off the edge a little.

Zeroeye: Thanks. Just say so if you find the story confusing, I don't want my reader to be left too much in the dark.

Abel Nightcross: And I hope you will forward to the next.

Wonderbee31: Was it the birth scene in rewind? Very surreal, eh? Guess I was thinking about Dali that time.

Halo expert: Yes I got it from Flatliners. A very good movie about sin and guilt.

Murasaki Tsukimaru: He's one tough guy, and the next chapter will deal on that.

Yo: Jimmy got plans for him. This chapter partially answers your question.

YoungKonoha: Just like above, partial explanations for now.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 14: Questions and Answers**

Keitaro fell on the ground.

Jimmy could only stare as the young man went on to laugh and roll around the dirty and dusty street. What could he do? After all, what he said earlier was something that could never be taken seriously, even if one would say it with a straight and poker face.

After a minute or two of uncontrolled laughter, Keitaro managed to calm himself, stood up, and asked, "Are you serious? As in really serious? Jimmy, that joke wasn't funny at all. But it turned out be a riot."

Inhaling another nicotine laced smoke, the magician answered, "Yeah, I was being serious. No jokes Taro, what I told you was true. You died that day."

"Right."

"Tell me," Jimmy's tone was a serious as ever, "When was the last time you ate?"

"Is that really important?"

Jimmy narrowed his eyes. With that kind of answer, he knew that this was not the time to speak in riddles or half-truths. Getting straight to the point, however, might leave the kanrinin with more questions that answers; he must find a balance.

"Well? I don't eat this much these days. I don't feel that hungry really. But what's it to you, Jimmy?"

"Simple," the magician started, "Food is a basic necessity of us humans. Doesn't have to be delicious or nutritious, you just need to put something inside to keep you from starving."

"So? I ate a little."

"Tell you what, when you were still in a flatline, Nelson opened up your insides."

"You did WHAT?" Keitaro shouted. Obviously unnerved by the magician's statement.

"Nelson. It was Nelson who opened you up. Not me. In any case, he was really giddy when he found out that you're organs were already suffering from a lack of vital minerals. The catch is, they were all working. And working perfectly."

Keitaro could only grit his teeth. Jimmy took it as a sign to continue, "He poked a few holes in your liver, spleen, appendix, intestines, and even your heart. Well, guess what? They all fucking came back to normal. Even the kidney he sliced in half grew up again."

After hearing that, Keitaro immediately touched his mid-section, as if assuring himself that his organs were still there. Lifting up his shirt, he found no scars of any recent operation. "Well, if that friend of yours really did slice me up, how come there are no scars?"

"Don't bullshit me Taro. The first night we met, you slashed your wrists. It didn't leave any scars. Truth to be told, Nelson didn't even have stitch you up. When he removed the machine that was pumping you with the potassium chloride, your body just stitched itself back."

"Well, so that's it, right? I'm still alive."

Jimmy's lip thinned dangerously. "I had to stop myself from puking as he showed your fucking insides. I'm no fucking doctor, but I know when something is seriously fucked up with body parts. Fungi was already growing on your esophagus, your stomach and intestines were dehydrated as hell, and your lungs had symptoms of emphysema, Nelson went on and on with his medical jargon to the point I couldn't understand anymore."

"Any proof?" Keitaro asked while smiling, still unable to take the magician's words seriously.

"He cut off half of your left kidney." Jimmy took another drag from his Lucky before going on, "Guess what? It just grew back."

"You're bullshitting me Jimmy."

The magician did not reply. He simply took out a small resealable plastic bag inside his jacket and threw in front of the kanrinin.

Keitaro picked up the thing that Jimmy threw, and to his horror, realized that inside that plastic pouch marked with a hazardous waste symbol, was a sliced piece of a small human organ.

A human kidney. His kidney.

Recoiling in disgust, he threw it back to Jimmy's face. The magician did not bother to dodge, he simply allowed it to hit his face. "Fucked up isn't it?" he said.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME!"

"Like I said---"

Jimmy was cut off with Keitaro's sudden one hundred eighty degree turn, "I'm out of here Jimmy. I don't need your help anymore. And by the way, fuck you."

Quick on his feet, Jimmy stepped on Keitaro's shadow and said, "You're not going anywhere. Until I get my foot off this shadow of yours."

Keitaro turned to face him again to give the finger, "Yeah right."

"Go ahead, try to move. You'll just stay there until I say so."

"Screw you Jimmy." Keitaro began to walk away again, but to his surprise, his legs failed him. It was as if they became rock solid; dead weight to anchor a ship. "GODDAMNIT!" he screamed as he tried to force his legs to move to no avail. "What the hell do you really want Jimmy? I said let me go!"

"Names."

"Names?"

"Remember the first time we met? When I told you about the power of names?"

"What? You got my real name now? Is that how you do your magic?"

"In a way yeah, but I need you to give it to me so it'll be more effective. But the names are not about you."

"Who and what then?" the kanrinin asked with an angry and confused tone.

"Your clones."

"So what? You never did ask for their names. I remember giving you two. But you never wanted to know the rest."

"Did you ever wonder why those clones of yours have the names that they have right now? You never did, did you. You just took it for granted. And to make matters worst, it seems that they named themselves."

"I, don't. Give. A. Fuck. About. Their names."

Jimmy's features began to darken a little, and the air seemed to follow suit. Small tendrils of dark and unholy energy slowly caressed the magician's aura as he took out a lock of hair from one his pockets. "Listen to me and listen to me good. If you don't take me seriously, I'll make a toad come of your mouth. And it'll be very different from fairy tales. It'll be very, very painful."

Keitaro only laughed at the magician's threats. And who would not? Toads coming out from somebody's mouth was something of a fairy tale indeed—a joke even. But the kanrinin's laughter was cut short when he felt a sickening crawl in his stomach. What he felt was like a small ball suddenly materialized inside him and began to roll. Little by little, "the ball", that he felt became bigger. What was more alarming was that he thought he felt four small feet kick inside him.

Four small padded feet.

"Jimm---" Keitaro tried to talk but was stopped by the sickening sensation of something slithering inside his stomach. It began to move, from his stomach, it forced itself to crawl inside his intestines, making him puke a dark green and bitter liquid onto the ground.

"Bile," Jimmy stated flatly, "That thing only comes out after you puke yourself so hard. When you got nothing inside your stomach anymore."

Talks of the recent past flashed inside Keitaro's head.

"_You didn't even sneak out to get food anymore. You just stayed inside your room; barely making any sound. The food I left at the door was never eaten."_

"_What are you trying to do? Starve yourself? You've barely eaten food the past few days."_

Some sort of comfort eased the kanrinin's legs. He knew it was Jimmy's magic. It seemed that the magician was lessening the physical burden of his spell. With the tension in his knees dissipating slightly, Keitaro found himself kneeling on the ground. The thing crawling inside him was still there. He could feel its padded feet step on his lungs as if they were ladders. Finally, the muscles in his throat painfully expanded, making him spit out the horrible pain that Jimmy promised a while ago.

On the ground was a warty toad—covered with blood and pieces of gut. A frightened sob came out of the young man as he saw the disgusting amphibian. It flicked its tongue in the air and gave out a sickening croak as it hopped off of his sight.

"Sorry about that," Jimmy said in an apologetic tone, "Guess I needed to rough you up a little to get you to listen."

Keitaro remained silent. Tears flowing down on his face, he asked, "I thought you were here to help me?"

"Yeah. That's what I intend to do. But I want you know these things first. I guess I owe you this much for the lies I told you."

"Like what?"

"For example, our meeting in McGinty's. It was no coincidence. Just don't ask how, but I used my magic to lure you to the place. That's why you never really remembered how to get there."

"What about my memories? Did you look at them? What about those that I didn't remember?"

"Well, I respected your privacy to some extent. But I sealed some of them so you'll have another reason aside from your clones to meet up with me again."

Keitaro slowly stood up and said, "Tell me everything Jimmy. About my clones. About this death of mine. Even if you don't use that magic anymore, I won't run away."

"You don't want to sit down?"

"I don't mind standing up."

Jimmy threw his spent cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his shoe. "Alright, here goes. But shut up for a while, okay? Let me do the talking for now."

Acknowledging the request, Keitaro did not even voice out his affirmation. He simply nodded.

"First things first. The names. It's been almost a month since that split-up affair of yours. During that day, the day when that mad scientist used the machine. Six other people died." Before Keitaro could even respond, Jimmy assured him, "Don't worry. They weren't killed by that crazy princess. Truth to be told, they died a rather lackluster death. Just so happened they died on the same day you got killed—or split up."

Jimmy paused for a while. Sensing that the younger man was adamant in just listening, he continued, "Shinichi was the first name you gave me, Urashima the second. So let's just say I start with the former and end with the latter." Taking a deep breath, the magician began to give out the details of his investigation.

*****

"Hasegawa Shinichi, thirty-nine years old. Child genius and all that fucking jazz. Could have gotten a freaking Nobel Prize if he wasn't much of an ass and a recluse. Got killed while experimenting on something. Goddamn lab burned to the ground, with him along. Identity verified by his teeth."

"Matsumoto Aoi, thirty-five years old. Part-time professional gambler, part-time confidence artist, full-time playboy. Never a believer of self-control, especially with his dick involved. He was forking a forty-something career woman when the lesbian lover appeared. Said lover loves softball with a passion; a slugger with a .295 batting average in some minor or amateur league, I didn't check. Well, you can do the math."

"Third on the list is Kobayashi Haru, seventeen years old. Clumsy and painfully shy to the point of no return. A hikikomori, who spends the whole day playing board games and singing karaoke. Still not sure if it was a suicide or not. No letters were found. Overdosed his sleeping medication. Said medicine bottle was near his multivitamins."

"Nakamura Isamu, twenty-six years old. College dropout with a rap sheet for some misdemeanors. Lead singer and guitarist in some cover band. Fangirls follow him left and right, even to the shower. Stabbed to death by some self-proclaimed girlfriend who broke into his apartment. Motive was in order for them to be together for a fucking eternity. Said fan committed suicide by slitting her throat."

"Takahashi Makoto, forty-two years old. Single for life ever since his wife died, never had a kid. Guess that's why he's a social worker for abandoned children. Being the altruist that he is, he died a hero's death. Pushed a girl away from a speeding drunk driver. You know the rest."

"Last but not the least, is Urashima. The poor bastard gave me a real hard time. I couldn't get too much files. All I know is this: an undercover agent was sent to infiltrate the local Yakuza group. That was ten years ago. He kept doing his job as a double-agent, but the superiors were getting edgy, thinking he might be in too deep. When the time came for him to go back to the force and the uniform, the bad guys smelled a rat. He got executed. Two bullets at the back of his skull. The files about him were so confidential I couldn't hack through that much. All I got was a codename: Urashima. And that's that."

*****

In order to appease the kanrinin's confusion, Jimmy reached inside his jacket and pulled out a thick and folded manila envelope; which he threw towards Keitaro's direction. "Go ahead. Read."

Picking it up and opening it without even saying a word, Keitaro scanned the contents. There were several papers inside, all talking about the deaths of the six people that Jimmy mentioned. Along with the documents were pictures and other sort of reports; supporting evidence for the magician's research.

Looking up to Jimmy, Keitaro simply asked for more with his eyes.

"And of course, the seventh person killed."

"That would be me."

"Yeah. Only thing is, there were no reports whatsoever."

Keitaro closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the night air and the magician's honesty. After a few moments or so, he asked, "Why did you want me to observe my clones better? Is it because of this? What does this mean? What does this prove?"

"It only proves that they're starting to grow. They're getting out of the boundaries that your personality dictated. I don't know if the change would be sudden and all, maybe they won't change at all."

"Only time will tell." a cold feminine voice said.

Both men recognized that voice's owner; that icy and impersonal tone that could send shivers to anyone's spine. They turned around and saw Meio Setsuna.

"Meio-sensei?" Keitaro said, mouth wide open in confusion. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I guess she's the better candidate for explaining the other details Taro." Jimmy said as he lighted up another Lucky.

"Jimmy, this is my physics professor!"

"And she's the Guardian of Time and Space."

"Guardian of Time and Space?" the young man looked at his professor with utmost shock.

Setsuna was quickly enveloped by a burst of garnet light. When it subsided, the executive outfit she wore was gone. It its place, was a sailor uniform with black accents; with matching black boots and the Garnet Rod in tow.

"W-what the?" Keitaro turned his attention to Jimmy once more. "What the hell is happening here?"

"Remember my slip about two women sending me here?"

"Y-yeah. I thought it was my granny and my sister that you were talking about."

"Well, she's one of them, the Guardian of Time and Space. The other woman, well, is someone, or something, that I hope you'll never meet."

"Do not worry Urashima-san. I am...not here to hurt you."

Keitaro noticed that there was a pause between her words. That was enough for him to conclude that something was not right in his situation.

"She'll take it from here for a while Taro. Listen to her explanations very well. And try to be on her good side. She's way beyond my league. Try not to test her temper."

Gulping at the magician's words, Keitaro stared at his professor, or rather, the Guardian of Time and Space. He asked, "So what do you need to tell me?"

"Simple," Setsuna began, "That you are an anomaly to to this world Urashima-san. Your existence is spells nothing but danger to this world. If I was allowed to do so, I would have destroyed you without even a second thought. Alas, your unfortunate case is not under my jurisdiction."

"Destroy me?" Keitaro mouthed off in a dumbfounded voice. "You mean kill me?"

"Yes."

"Jimmy, help me here!"

"Relax," said the magician, "She can't do that. I told you to listen to here right? She's forbidden to do so. Hell, her being here is already forbidden. After all this said and done she'll die."

"And I will be reincarnated once more at the Gate of Time and Space." Setsuna added.

Keitaro could only stare at the two of them with unbelieving eyes.

"I will tell you why." Setsuna started once more, "Why you are an anomaly. And I want you to answer my questions as truthfully as you can."

The kanrinin nodded with fear very much apparent.

"What do you think happened to you, the day that you were fragmented into six of your dominant personalities?"

"Jimmy told me that I died that day." Keitaro answered with no hesitation.

Setsuna nodded and continued, "Good, you understand the value of cooperation. It is true that you died, and your soul, sent to Heaven. However, another event caused you to come back into the realm of the living. Do you know what brought you back?"

"Shinichi and that gun of his."

"Yes. That flux gun." Setsuna's eyes became a hundred degrees colder. "A reckless gamble that could have destroyed this world."

"Well," Keitaro interrupted, "I think I remembered him saying the possibilities. Like them getting destroyed to bring me back, or worse, the six of them gone without me being returned at all."

Setsuna breathed in and out, her teeth gritting like a saw on wood. "Foolish mortals. You and your finite understanding of the universe would be the death of you all. Do you really think, that those two scenarios you have mentioned, are the only possibilities of such an act?"

Keitaro failed to give her an answer.

"Simple and pure mathematics Urashima-san. Not to mention statisctics."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that," Jimmy butted in, "Those two were not the only possibilities. There could have been a lot of possible outcomes."

"Infinite." the Guardian corrected the magician. "Infinite possibilities. It just so happened that the most 'fortunate' happened."

"Fortunate is a relative term. Considering the impending magical war."

"War? What war?"

"The war that is slowly but steadily escalating because of your unnatural presence in this world Urashima-san."

Jimmy sighed. It was no use for the Guardian to keep on explaining alone. Powerful beings like her usually speak in riddles and hazy truths; a trait that is perhaps borne of pride due to their immense power. Taking another breather from his cigarette, he decided to join the discussion in full. "Taro," he began, "Your unnatural existence, as the Guardian says it, is the product of you being brought back from the dead."

"I died a while ago right?"

"What does he mean Sorcerer?"

Turning to Setsuna, Jimmy quipped, "And you're the Guardian of Time and Space. Shouldn't you know by now?"

"My powers are severely limited when I come to this world."

"Later then," the magician faced Keitaro once more. "You got any idea what happened to your body when you got split up into six?"

"No." Keitaro answered honestly. "Look Jimmy, if you got the answers, just say it."

"Straight to the point then. When you got split up, your original body was destroyed—disintegrated."

"W-what? H-how?"

Jimmy looked to the Guardian and said, "You might want to fill the details on that one."

Without even acknowledging the magician's look, Setsuna explained, "The Sorcerer's use of words must have confused you. Indeed, your body was destroyed but not disintegrated. Instead, the particles that make them up, were forcibly scattered and copied into six. Unfortunately, when that process occurred, your original particles were destroyed. And that resulted in your present situation, the six Urashima Keitaros; seven including you."

Before both men could voice out something to say, the Guardian continued her explanation. "That travesty, that crime against the Laws of the Universe, was somewhat...permissible. The Law of the Conservation of Energy can never broken—but it can be bent. However..." Setsuna's gritted her teeth dangerously, "Consequences are always bound to happen."

"What's that supposed to mean?" A very frightened Keitaro asked.

"Taro," it was Jimmy who answered him. "You remember a while ago? When I told you about those six dead people that shared names with your clones?"

"Yeah."

"A body needs a very important key component. Like how a car needs gasoline to run around. A body needs a soul."

"A soul? So those six dead guys..."

"Their souls are housed within those six copies of yours Urashima-san."

"But..." Keitaro was becoming more and more confused. "What about me? My...body?"

Jimmy took a deep drag from his Lucky before answering. "Like I said before, your clones are changing. Becoming more normal every day. What normal is, well, that's up to you to decide. But the thing that got my suspicions correct about them, was when you said that they lost that 'immortality' that you have."

"Well, they're normal now. So what about it?"

"You're not. You're way past the 'normal' line."

"Jimmy just spit it out."

"Okay then," the magician took another puff, "They're clones yeah. But you're in deeper trouble. You see, from what you said, about you being reintegrated..."

It was Setsuna who continued the magician's words. "When your copies came into existence, they were from an original source. However, when you were reintegrated, the source was from the copies. Your body is a copy of a copy, a much more degraded object; the most defective among the most malfunctioning refuse."

The Guardian went on, not allowing Jimmy or Keitaro to talk. "And thus, a great imbalance occurred. Even though the one at fault used technology, the world of magic was dragged into this madness. For you to be brought back to life, it needed an immense amount of magical energy. The sudden loss of magic weakened the wards in this world; portals to hellish dimensions were opened and a surge of wild magical energies interfered with day-to-day casting. Those disasters and the ones that are to come, are the result of such."

"You bombarded him with too much information Guardian. How do you expect him to understand all the things that you said?"

"It's okay Jimmy," Keitaro said, "I'm more interested about the clones. And how I died. I couldn't really give a damn about this war of yours." The kanrinin breathed out a heavy sigh. "The names. Why did they name themselves like that?"

"Something subconscious I guess, some sort of desire to assert themselves. To tell the world that they do more than just exist. That they are here—living."

"But what she said was true...right? That if I really think hard about it, I'm the clone. Not them."

Jimmy could not answer the question, he feared that it would be too much the boy; but Setsuna had none of those reservations. "Simply put, yes. They are becoming more and more like ordinary mortals for each passing day. You, however, are exacerbating the danger in this world. The more days you live...no, the more days you exist, the greater damage you will cause. The same with the Sorcerer's analogy with the automobile, your existence is fueled by an immense amount of magical power. And that power should belong to this world in order to sustain it. Only your complete and utter destruction will lead to the recovery of the balance."

Ignoring Setsuna's statement, Keitaro turned to Jimmy and asked, "The story you told me about when we were in the park this morning. Is it true? Is there really a traveling salesman that carries that briefcase? The one that sells revenge?"

Jimmy licked his lips before answering, "Yeah. But he usually roams around Europe and the US, and he's the one who chooses the clients. Some sort of case to case basis kind of thing."

Keitaro began to walk away from the two. This alarmed Setsuna who immediately called Jimmy's attention. "Stop him at once! This is your chance to end the war before it could even start its escalation! Destroy him Sorcerer!"

Jimmy ignored the woman that was heckling him. "Hey Taro," his call caught the attention of the kanrinin who stopped to listen to what he has to say. "Of all the people you can trust the least, I'm the one you could trust the most. After you're finished with what I think that you're gonna do, come back here. I'll be waiting."

Keitaro simply mumbled something while he nodded his head, then he walked away, this time he did not look back. Both the magician and the Guardian simply looked at him.

Setsuna belted out at the magician. "You fool! That was your chance! And you allowed it to be wasted!"

"If you're so inclined, then why the hell didn't you blast him off yourself?"

"That is not my duty." Setsuna replied in an icy tone.

For his part, Jimmy could only look back into his past; a dark and violent trail of blood and the dead with their eyes wide open with pain. Why the hesitation? That was the question that echoed inside his mind. Years and years of being a magician taught him that the everyday black and white of human morality do not apply to his kind. So many people have died because of his magic; some he killed outright, the others, died due to his failures. After all those deaths, he told himself that he needed to be more professional, unattached to the people around him; treat them as something, not someone. Still the question remained. Why the hesitation?

Setsuna seemed to have taken note of his introspective silence and offered him a piece of her mind. "Your conscience perhaps? You feel sorry for the boy, do you not, Sorcerer? You tell yourself that no one deserves such a misfortune in the stings of Fate."

Jimmy walked away from her and sat on the bench before giving a reply. "Yeah, I guess it's my conscience kicking. Haven't heard from it for a long time."

"Then it seems, it has arrived at the most importune moment."

"Excuse me for being human then."

"You have killed many, that I am sure of. So I wonder why, in this most precarious time did you falter."

"You could only kill so much until you get disgusted with yourself."

"Still---"

Jimmy finally snapped, his fear of Setsuna dissipated in an instant. "Goddammit, stop egging me on Guardian. I will kill the boy if that's what you really fucking want. But I'll do it MY WAY!"

Ever calm and collected despite the freezing anger in her heart, the Guardian replied, "Then, I do hope you do not lose sight of what your duty is Sorcerer. I will leave you now. The fate of that boy is in your hands." With that said, Setsuna gave him a slight nod and disappeared.

Regaining his composure, the magician threw his nearly spent stick and lit another one. Looking up to the sky, he took a long and painful breather from his Lucky. _"I remember the first time we met. I remember telling myself to have a good set of words when the time comes. Well, it looks like the time has come. But I'm not sure if what I'll say would be enough to convince him."_ Jimmy removed his glasses and massaged his temples, hoping that an answer would come to him.

It came in the form of a ringing toy cellphone.

Pressing the receive button, he immediately answered, "I gave you that sword already Yuko. Anything else?"

"Someone to talk to perhaps? You seem to need someone Jimmy."

"Never knew you were that concerned."

"Talking to another person, is a hundred times better than brooding alone."

"Really?" Jimmy's tone became slightly irritated. "Then why me? Of all people, why me? I'm getting tired of doing somebody else's dirty work."

Yuko seemed to smile on the other line, "For I believe that you are great person. That is why."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. But if I'm so fu---" he remembered the witch's request concerning his language, "Well, if I'm so great, they why did I almost got killed? And twice in a row, mind you."

"Greatness does not necessarily mean immense power or superhuman skills. To be a great person, simply means to be great. And I know and feel that you are one such individual."

Before the magician could even give his reply, Yuko once again asked him, "Will you kill the boy?"

A moment of silence passed between the two.

Jimmy regained his voice and answered, "Killing him is an understatement. He's tough, his body fights on to live despite all the damages done. It's quite a euphemism, but 'destroying' his body is actually the better way to say it."

"Will you use the flames of Hell then?"

"I guess so. That's the only way I know to prevent him from regenerating."

"Yet you hesitated. You allowed him to live—for now. Something tells me that you do not really want to kill him. Let me tell you this Jimmy, I know that you fill find a way. If you truly desire something, you will find a way."

Jimmy was stunned. Deep inside his heart, he did not want to kill Keitaro. And with the Witch of Dimensions, knowing his true feelings, it only made him despair a lot more inside.

"One more thing Jimmy," Yuko asked, "If a woman asks you about her beauty, what will be your answer?"

"Does that have any relevance to our talk?" he replied in an irate manner. However, the magician remembered who he was talking to and immediately changed into an apologetic tone. "Oh, what I meant was, yeah, um...you're definitely beautiful Yuko. Gorgeous, totally gorgeous. That dress you wore the last time we had coffee was absolutely stunning."

Mild laughter erupted on the other line. "Jimmy, I did not ask you that question. So be at ease, I can take criticism."

"Well, I guess I'll be honest with the woman asking the question then."

"I see."

"Yeah."

"Take care then Jimmy."

"Thanks a lot Yuko."

"Oh and by the way..."

"Anything else?"

"We had tea." With that said, the other line went dead.

Jimmy could only chuckle at Yuko's reminder. As he looked up into the sky, he saw that the afternoon was already over; but the night had not yet come. It was only twilight, a fitting sight for the magician who was in the same predicament; trapped between what he must do and what he really wants to happen.

Perhaps Ichihara Yuko was correct when she said that talking to another person was a lot more better that brooding alone. For a sudden idea came to Jimmy's mind—Keitaro's immortality; a wild card in the river, an enigma that could give him a royal flush.

"_I must know why. I better ask him when he returns."_ The magician then remembered the conflict he noticed in Keitaro's eyes a while ago which made him smirk. _"I just hope his innate goodness kicks in before he does something stupid. The world needs a lot more people like that boy."_

_*****_

Urashima Keitaro had never felt hatred before.

Deep inside his heart and mind, that fiery emotion burned like premium gasoline with a ninety-five octane rating. Such was the torment inside him, that he did notice his eyes almost glowed with a sickening glare; making other people ignore him out of fear.

Only one person mattered the most for him right now. A princess of a distant land, whose skill in science and technology could, perhaps, never be rivaled by any other human being in this planet.

"_None of this would've happened if it wasn't for her." _Keitaro told himself.

She mattered to him, but not because of love or concern. Perhaps in the past, that would have been true. But not anymore. Yes, she did matter—but for a totally different purpose.

A single word kept repeating inside his head; a mantra, a promise of pain that will definitely come.

Kill.

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

Just here to say that when I read the original Mirrors, I always had the nagging question of: then where did Keitaro go? What happened while he was there? And a lot more. So when I took up the challenge, I somewhat interpreted that Kei died then was brought back, ala Buffy in its fifth and sixth season. But I thought that him being depressed because he got back from heaven was a little cheesy. So I made some changes about his situation.

Again, if you still find some parts confusing, let me know. So I can give more details with the explanations on the following chapters. What to expect from the next chapter? Just wait.


	15. A Dish Best Served Cold

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

Keitaro's shining moment begins. Then again maybe not. As usual, R&R, heck, even flames are welcome if you think that's the way to make my story any better.

Lol cake: Kei was already a magnet for bad luck anyway.

windybreeze, Abel Nightcross, and Halo expert: You watch slasher films?

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 15: A Dish Best Served Cold**

Murder was the only thing inside Keitaro's head.

Perhaps Fate was by his side this early evening. Hinata Inn was uncharacteristically empty; there was not even a faintest trace of any of the residents or the clones for that matter. The door was locked when he arrived. But it was a good thing that he was the kanrinin of that place. He had keys to every room, from the front door to every resident's quarters. Inside his head, he laughed. Duplicating the keys was one the first things he did when he became the kanrinin; so in case of an emergency, which has never happened, he could always barge into the rooms and save them if they ever needed saving.

Another peal of laughter echoed inside Keitaro's head. If one would think about it, that act of duplicating the keys was borne out of good intentions. But now, it became a very convenient tool for his revenge.

Looking around the place, he only turned on a few lights. "_No need to rush."_ He knew she was still there inside her room. The memory of the day's earlier events reminded him that no blond and tanned princess was tagging along the search party that wanted him back for questioning. Moreover, was the lack of her presence at the dining table for the past few days due to her sickness.

"_No need to rush,"_ Keitaro repeated to himself. "_I'll take my time."_

What he needed the most right now in the world was a murder weapon.

"_Maybe my bare hands would suffice."_ Keitaro thought. "_Then I'll pour gasoline on her and light her up." _

Deep inside the Freudian iceberg of his subconscious, another voice materialized and whispered, "_No."_

"_What the? Who the hell are you?"_

"_You don't have to know. In any case, are you just going to make it easy for her? C'mon be more creative. You can do better than that!"_

"_I don't need your help. Go to hell."_

"_Whatever you say. But try to take a look at where you are now. You'll be very pleased."_

Keitaro's Ego was the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage and the voice he just heard was the iceberg of his Id. Unlike in the real history of that maritime disaster, it was not the ship that sank inside his head—it was the iceberg. But he did not mind. He did not need his id anymore for his plans of revenge; his own ego would suffice.

For in front of him, was a half finished cabinet.

"_Urashima must have been working on this one. He never got to finish it, I guess."_

Down on the floor, beside the woodwork, lay a dozuki—a type of a Japanese backsaw.

With tears in his eyes, along with a maniacal smile and a shaking hand, Keitaro picked up his murder weapon of choice.

Unlike most of its Western counterparts, the dozuki cut wood using the pull stroke rather that the push-stroke. Because of that, the cuts were straighter and narrower. But there was something else that made it a beautiful killing tool—it was the fine serrated teeth. With smooth edged cutting tools, the cut made would be precise and, of course, smooth. That was not the case with serrated edges. The beauty of such metallurgy lies in the way it cuts with ease due to its structure, but again, that was not what it made it an appealing murder weapon. Rather, it was the result on whatever it would cut—it would not be clean, but messy. And if the thing that needed to be cut was flesh, one could just imagine the torrent of blood that will spurt out from the wounds. Not to forget the screams that would definitely be heard; they would be very, very painful screams.

"_Yes. That's how she's supposed to die. Excruciating and slow. That's the way to kill her."_

Keitaro remembered his death. It was only a flash; no pain, no screams, there was not even an iota of fear. But that did not matter. When he died and was brought back, he saw how his life was stolen right before his eyes. Dreams of the promised girl, studying together in Toudai, and living happily ever after dissipated in a flash. That damnable flash from her machine destroyed his whole life.

"Foolish girl," he muttered out loud. "Always doing something without even thinking about the possible consequences. Well, those days are over. Your days are over. No one will become a guinea pig anymore."

A meticulous step-by-step plan formed inside the conflicted mind of Urashima Keitaro.

"_I'll start with the toes. I'll saw it off one by one. Then I'll move to the ankles, then the shins, and I'll stop before the knees. Her hands would come next. No, her fingers first! One by one, all ten of them! After the fingers, I'll saw off her hands. She won't be able to make any more inventions! No more guinea pigs! But wait...until she has that head of hers, she'll always be able to think out something..."_

This time, the laughter was not trapped in the recesses of his head. He was laughing out loud, and it echoed through the empty and partially lit halls of Hinata Inn.

"_Of course...it doesn't end with only her arms and legs. Her head must roll. For the sake of other people who might become her test subjects. She has to die. She's the reason all this happened to me."_

At this point, even his soliloquy was now spoken out loud.

"You won't die that fast. Oh no, you won't Kaolla Suu. You won't die like me! Not in a flash! It'll be slow, really slow..."

His feet slowly took a life of its own and began to walk. At a distance, a small and whispering voice repeatedly called him to go to Room 301.

"It'll be a long and hard goodbye."

*****

Summer was long over, but the room was hot as hell.

Despite the tropical flora and fauna, the room was not much of a jungle; soil was present, but there were no rocks or boulders to hinder one's way. Neither were there the usual animals one would see in a real jungle. But that was a good thing. Keitaro felt that the heat was enough. Death by malaria was something he did not look forward to, but he could care less. After he was done with this killing, he would die happy and contented. Never mind that he will go to hell and damn all consequences, as long as he dragged Suu along the way.

Keitaro's sweat drenched his suit, but he did not mind. When someone was out to kill, what you wear is not that really important. He patted himself at the back for not removing his shoes inside the inn. It was very impolite to the Japanese to come inside the house and not change to slippers or other whatnots. Still, he felt it was a good decision to wear them, because his wet feet might make him trip along the way. This was not the time to be careless, he could not afford to be careless. Maybe, after the killing was done.

"_So far, so good,"_ he told himself. "_No mistakes so far, now..."_

His shadow loomed over the bed. Suu's whole body was covered with her blanket, even her head was barred from sight by the white sheet.

"_Shy are we? Not for long."_

Keitaro violently pulled the cloth away. What he saw and the way he reacted, was something even he did not expect.

There was a sudden rush of blood to his nose. He had to step back a little in order for it not to drip on Suu and wake her up.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked himself out loud due to the shock. With Suu stirring up a little, he responded to himself by slapping his mouth shut.

Indeed, all hell seemed to have broken loose. Sure, Kaolla Suu, Princess of Molmol, was still sleeping peacefully in the bed. But something was totally off with that picture.

"_I know for sure there's no red moon tonight. Then how did this happen?"_ Keitaro shook himself from questioning himself any further. There was no time for that, never mind the change in Suu's body, killing her was still top priority.

He found it hard not to stare. In her child form, Suu was just another obnoxious and hyperactive brat. But in her adult form, she was a goddess. Her dark tanned skin glistened with sweat and her wistful sleeping smile did not help calm the rage in the kanrinin's groin either. Not to mention the blond hair that shined with a healthy luster, a telltale sign of child-bearing capabilities.

But what made Keitaro almost change his mind about killing the girl—or rather—the woman, was her clothes. It seemed that she had not yet changed her clothes since she got sick. She was still wearing her sailor uniform, only this time, it was several sizes too small for her body. Flesh and cloth almost became one; her breasts wanted to break free from her shirt, and her creamy thighs desired to rid off of with the skirt.

Another torrent of blood flowed from Keitaro's nose, accompanied by the voice of his Id. "_Well...look at that. You should come get some before you saw off her limbs. Then again, after you amputate her, you could still have some quality time; ala 'Boxing Helena'"_

"_SHUT THE FUCK UP!" _Keitaro yelled at his id, "_I can see myself killing her, but raping her is beneath me."_

With that rebuke, the voice disappeared again. Keitaro hoped that it would not return anymore and make him doubt any further. He snapped at himself. He needed a change of plans. No longer will he take the slow route, it would only bring him trouble.

Holding the dozuki with both hands, he raised it up to the air as high as he could. "_No more second guessing. I'll just make this quick. I'll go straight for her neck."_

Keitaro's breathing became heavier and more difficult. There was no turning back now, this was the point of no return. After this "revenge" of his, there was nothing else to do except, maybe, die, as what Jimmy and Setsuna told him.

His knuckles almost whitened with his hard grip on the dozuki's handle. After a second or two for further deliberations, he muttered an inaudible prayer for forgiveness.

Fate, however, had a change of heart. It immediately threw a monkey wrench like a hard hitting fastball.

"Ara, ara? What's this?"

What made it worse, was that the supposed slugger failed to hit the ball.

Keitaro did not know what he was supposed to feel at that moment. One could say he was relieved; after all, revenge was basically useless. But when the memories of the recent discovery flashed to his head, the embers of hatred burned again.

Otohime Mutsumi's sudden appearance and prolonged presence would deny him of his vengeance.

"Keitaro-kun, what are you doing?" the turtle girl asked, oblivious to the young man's surge of murderous intent.

As if that was not enough, Fate decides to throw another pitch. It was a curve ball this time.

"Keitaro?" Suu wearily mouthed off as she sat up on her bed. "Wah!" Even she was surprised at her sudden transformation.

Again, there was another miss; strike number two.

"Ara! Looks like Keitaro-kun wants to play!"

"Eh? Is that true Keitaro? My MechaTamas are broken right now."

Ever the clueless ditz, Mutsumi suggested, "Ah! I think the game is called 'The Last Girl'!"

Keitaro could only stare at Mutsumi, then at Suu; his eyes kept looking at the two of them with utter disbelief.

"What kind of game is that Mutsumi-san?" Suu said as she jumped up and stood on her bed.

With eternal innocence—or stupidity, depending on who was looking—she cheerfully stated, "Ara? You don't know? It's a game where someone pretends to be a serial killer and chases them all over. The girl who remains alive the last is the winner!"

Exhilaration exploded from the Suu's heart, "Yey! I get to play!" And just like any given Sunday, she gave Keitaro a kick to the head which sent his face kissing the floor before she jumped near Mutsumi's side. "Let's go Mutsumi-san!"

"Alright!" the Okinawan responded with equal vigor. She turned to Keitaro and said, "You do your best Keitaro-kun!"

But before they could make a mad dash for the exit, Mutsumi remembered something, "Wait!"

"What is it Mutsumi-san?"

"In the movies I watched, they all screamed first!"

And so scream they did; only that it was filled with excitement and fun, not with fear. After what seemed to be an eternity of shrieks, the young women bolted out of the room; leaving a very pissed off kanrinin whose face was still planted on the floor.

Keitaro took his time in getting up. Perhaps it was from the pain of Suu's kick or just the utter confusion that was in his head right now that made him stay that way. He gripped the dozuki's handle once more as a smile snaked itself on his swollen face. "Fine then," he muttered. "Let's play."

*****

"Damn it!" Haruka muttered under her breath as she sat on the cushion. It had been a long day for her and the others. The search for Keitaro was futile, and to say that she was seething would have been a grave understatement. "You think Suu is okay already? That tracker of hers didn't even work. Keitaro was nowhere to be found."

Tired groans came out from almost every other house member as they lounged on the sofa; signifying that they would rather rest than conduct another search.

"Oh come on," the eldest Urashima woman belted out. "It's already dark. What if something happens to him?

Worried looks came over their faces, especially Kanako. "Haruka-san, I think I better go out alone. I think I can still find him."

"I think that would not be necessary," Shinichi interrupted. "You might want to recollect on how we entered the inn."

"Goddammit brains," Urashima snarled. "Just spit it out already."

"Well," the brain clone continued, "For starters, the doors was already unlocked."

Everyone was surprised at his revelation, for it could only mean one thing.

"Somebody was already here before us!" the others said in unison.

Shinichi nodded, "True, true, not to forget that some of the lights," he pointed to the ceiling and some parts of the inn, "Are already on." He gave out a disappointed sigh as he continued, "Typical human behavior I guess, when we are under stress, our other faculties tend not be used efficiently. You all failed to notice those small details."

"Oh, spare us the details brains," Urashima groaned. "This means that Original got here before we did."

A small grumble came out of Haruka as she pulled out her harisen. "That nephew of mine! He's gonna get it from me this time!"

Just as she was about to stand up, the insides of Hinata Inn were pierced by two bloodcurdling—yet at the same time, girlish—screams. Following that, were two sets of feet that just broke into an intense run.

"The hell was that?" Urashima asked the others who could not give an immediate reply.

But Haru, the timid clone, knew one of the voices. "Mu-chan! Mu-chan is here!"

"You mean that Okinawan airhead?"

"D-don't be so m-mean to her!"

"Well," Naru started, "What about that other voice? I think I head it a long time ago, but I just can't put it where or when."

As if to answer her question, Mutsumi and Suu suddenly ran into them.

"Mu-chan!" Haru immediately broke into a slight run to hug his girlfriend, to which the Okinawan responded in the same manner. "Haru-kun!"

Somehow, everyone who saw the scene knew that a disaster was about to happen. As soon as the two got near to each other, their inherent clumsiness worked and made trip; resulting in a very awkward position. Mutsumi's head found itself on Haru's crotch.

Urashima grinned evilly, "And here goes public exhibit number one!"

Shinobu went crimson at the sight and so did Motoko. The rest, only broke out into mild laughter and jeered the two clumsy lovers. Even Haruka's temper died down a bit after seeing the two. But then she noticed Suu and asked, "Hey, Suu-chan, is that you?"

"Yep! I'm all grown up again! Even if there is no red moon." the grown up form responded. "Oh!" her face lit up with the usual fun look that she had, "Keitaro wants to play with all of us!"

"Play?" the others said in unison. Kanako broke out from that pattern and asked, "But why? That would be very strange of my onii-chan."

Regaining her footing, Mutsumi helped Haru stand up and said, "Keitaro-kun wants to play the 'Last Girl' game!"

"Eh? That would be very strange of out kanrinin. But what is this game anyway?" Motoko asked.

Both Mutsumi and Suu was more than happy to inform them. Suu started, "Well, Keitaro pretends to be a serial killer! Then he hunts us all down, the last girl who stays alive wins!"

"And ideally," the Okinawan added, "The last girl must be a virgin!"

"So basically," Shinichi added the most sensible conclusion, "It is a variation of a tag and it game. But only one guy gets to chase the girls."

"What?" the rest of the clones exclaimed. "That's no fair!" Aoi said while crossing his arms. "Why do only one guy gets all the fun?"

"Ara, you got it wrong, Aoi-kun. Boys can play too, but as boyfriends!"

"Well I think that's better! What do you say Mo-chan!"

"Well, I guess it could be fun Isamu-kun," the swordswoman replied while tapping her chin. "And I guess a good run might be good for the body too."

"But what about the virgin part?" Naru and Makoto asked, obviously confused—and worried.

"Ara, well, I dunno really. They say virgins always get away from the killer."

Shinichi sighed at what he was hearing. His common sense told him that whole idea was stupid. Nonetheless, he felt compelled to dish out some information for the enlightenment of the others. "From what I can gather, that game might be based from the usual trope or cliché of serial killer movies." He looked around at his surroundings and continued, "I mean look, partially lit rooms? Hinata Inn's location which is quite disconnected from the rest of the city. The setting is perfect and in place. Then we move on to the characters. Haruka is an authority figure guiding a group of young adults, who more or less, engage in premarital sex."

Each girl flushed a deep crimson. But that did not stop Shinichi's lecture, "Ideally the last one alive would be a virgin. Since they are believed to be pure and good girls, unlike...well, those who hit it off like bunnies. They're sluts."

The last comment garnered some deadly glares, except from three girls.

"W-w-well, I-I guess were safe, right Mu-chan?"

"Ara? Haru-kun you're so silly! We already loved each other before I left, remember?" That revelation made the timid clone faint to the ground.

Urashima could only groan at what he heard, "I hope that you used protection. It's already hard to feed ourselves. Original might get ballistic if a baby comes along." His comment however, fell on deaf ears.

"Well, I am confident that I will not be the victim." Motoko said with an air of superiority. "Besides, I have my kendo skills with me."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but that conclusion is incorrect." Shinichi countered while adjusting his glasses.

"And why is that?" both Motoko and Isamu asked the bespectacled clone.

Shinichi gave out a scholarly cough and explained, "The things is, you're quite the strong character already. Final girls are supposed to be weak at first, then after so many murders, they will take up a weapon, like a knife or something else."

"Alright, alright," Haruka had enough of the serial killer movie discussion. "But what tells you that my nephew might want to play this game? Honestly, I guess Urashima is better suited for the role."

"I may not agree with that," Makoto interjected, "But I really doubt it Keitaro-kun would play this game you're talking about. After all..." his words trailed off for a moment.

"It does sound stupid," Naru finished.

"Ara? But Keitaro-kun really wants to play!"

"What made you say that Mutsumi?" Kitsune asked.

Suu answered the question with unquestionable glee. "Keitaro already got a big knife! And it got really sharp teeth!"

"Oh by the way, Kitsune..."

"What is it Shinichi?

"If I am correct, the first victim usually belongs to your category. After all you're a drinker and you engage in a lot of vices."

"Eh?" the fox's eyes opened wide with rage. "What the hell are you trying to prove you dolt!"

As the verbal war erupted between the seductress and the intellectual, all the others just listened, save for one.

Urashima remembered the woodworking project he was finishing a few days ago, and it bothered him that the dozuki was missing. During one of his grocery runs, he heard a rumor of a high-school girl going berserk with the same type of tool; using it to cut off heads. He shuddered at that thought, especially since his dozuki was of excellent quality and bought from a top-rating store.

Once again, Urashima recounted the happenings of past few days. At first, Keitaro was so down, then without any explanation at all, he just got off of his room and went to drink; that was a Saturday night. Then, the following day, his personality had a little shift. Not that it was that bad, since he got a backbone to control them, but it was so abrupt that it was unnerving.

Then there were the reports of missing persons and murder cases. He was the one who called Keitaro for dinner back then, and he noticed that his progenitor was watching the news. His body tensed at the things he was thinking, he heard the slip of the head investigator about the victims being pieced together. And that bothered him greatly.

Meanwhile, the other's conversation placed Shinobu on the spotlight.

"Au, does that mean I get to win without even trying, Shinichi-senpai?"

"Well, yeah. Let's see..." the intellectual clone seemed to count on his fingers, "You cook, you do the laundry, you help with cleaning the house. Basically you're wife material, even if you're not a wife yet. So yeah, I think you would the best candidate for the final girl. Suu is also a good candidate, but she's too hyperactive, and most movies tend to kill those type of characters."

"Got no problem with that!" Suu beamed. "I'm just happy I get to play again!"

Naru scratched her cheek as she voiced out he opinion, "You know, now that I think about it, how sure are we that we 'non-virgins' are supposed to die? I mean, it's just like tag and it, right? No need to make it complicated."

"But does Keitaro really need to go running off with a knife?" Kitsune asked, "I mean he's still a little bit clumsy. He might hurt himself.

"You don't have to worry about me."

Keitaro's voice froze the noise that they were making a while ago. Something was off with his tone, it did not have the trace of the usual happiness that he brought with him all the time. That tone was devoid of any emotion, lifeless to the core.

Urashima's eyes nearly bulged out from its sockets. It was quite dark on the stairs where Keitaro was standing. But the supposed evil clone swore that he saw a metallic glimmer from something very familiar.

Just like when he was getting up from Suu's kick, Keitaro took his time in coming down the steps. His footsteps barely made a sound, but his slow pace unnerved the residents.

"I head you a while ago. You wanted to play, right Suu?" the kanrinin asked.

Before the tanned and blond princess could answer, Motoko lashed out at him, "Kanrinin-san! That is so impolite of you! This is your inn but you still have to change shoes!"

Keitaro did bother answering her. He simple walked down some more and stopped at the edge of the stairs.

"Baka!" Naru fumed at his lack of response, "What's gotten into..." her words faltered. She noticed that his eyes were emotionless on the surface, but burned with a crimson shade of hatred inside. Along with that was the way he held the dozuki, he gripped on it as if it was a part of his own body.

"Suu-chan..." Keitaro's face shifted from an emotionless mask to one that smiled with utmost joy. "You wanted to play, right?" he asked with a very unnerving happy voice.

"Yes! Let's play Keitaro!" Suu suddenly jumped towards him, as if saying that she wanted to be the first victim.

Keitaro smiled and answered back with a slash.

____________________

**Author's Notes: **

Dozuki – as it said, a type of Japanese backsaw. Inspired by the manga and anime School Days. Same goes with the high-school girl psycho

Boxing Helena – some sort of experimental film I think, a woman gets her limbs amputated by some guy and treats her like a sex doll, never watched it, a friend just told me of this movie.

I hope Kei is not much of psycho here. In any case, this turned out to be longer than I expected. My original plan was for Kei to back away once he saw Suu sleeping so peacefully. But something told me that beatdown was necessary.

And yes, I know I am so evil by leaving you with a cliffhanger. Just be patient, okay? Cheers!


	16. Dead Man Fighting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

This chapter took quite some time since I don't have much experience in writing fighting scenes. So feel free to say whether it was good or bad. Anyway, you guys should really not read too much in a cliffhanger. I know a lot of you might get disappointed, but hey, I already planned out my story. The only problem is piecing up the words for it. As usual, R&R people!

Hammer Corvette: The problem is, she was portrayed as someone so naïve, that you'll have a hard time hating her.

Zeroeye: Holy Mother of God! Sorry to disappoint, but I think there's only around 3 or 4 chapters to go.

Halo expert: Thanks for being honest, looks like I better to stick to one genre alone when I'm writing then.

Abel Nightcross: Eh? Better be careful what you wish for...

YoungKonoha: So I present to this to you...

windybreeze: I read the manga and the anime. I found it really hilarious.

Vegito567: Another evil comes its way in this chapter.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 16: Dead Man Fighting**

Keitaro's slice was successful.

However, there was no violent spray of blood followed by horrified screams, that was expected in such situations.

Ever the hyperactive child genius, Suu ducked just in time before the dozuki sliced her throat. Her neck was spared, but not her long and beautiful blond hair. Strands of yellow exploded in the air, floating for a few seconds in a slow-motion. When the bullet-time ended, she made a backflip and landed gracefully near the girls and clones. Unscathed and unfazed, she even managed to give Keitaro a hearty wink.

"Suu," Shinobu whispered in her little frightened voice, "Your hair."

Noticing the distress of her best friend, Suu commented in her everyday jovial tone in order to reassure her. "Oh, that's nothing. I have a new hair growing formula in my lab!"

"I guess you won't be needing that." Keitaro half-whispered.

"Eh? Why Keitaro? Do I look better with short hair?" the princess asked as she twirled her fingers around the massacred strands.

For a brief moment, Shinichi lost his common sense and asked, "Okay, isn't this the part where we all start screaming and run like hell before Keitaro 'kills' us all?"

"Kill you all? Who said that I'm going to kill all of you? Only Suu-chan has to die."

Mutsumi reminded him, "Ara, Keitaro-kun, isn't that against the rules of the game? Shouldn't well all die?"

The others just nodded their heads in agreement, except for Urashima, who had a nervous tic in his right eye. Before he could voice out his concern, Suu made another leap towards the kanrinin. For his part, Keitaro slashed at her again, but the Molmolian's natural reflexes proved to be quite formidable; she did not receive any wounds, but her shirt was nearly ripped off. The sight of an adult Kaolla Suu, whose shirt was torn and was not wearing any bra elicited nosebleeds from the rest of the observers.

Still in his scholarly tone, Shinichi could only chuckle as he gave out a useless trivia, "Okay...most slasher films have partial nudity in them."

"But that doesn't mean we take it seriously, right?" Makoto concluded for the intellectual clone.

Urashima swore that if the weather brought stupidity in its wake, then this day must be one of them. "GODAMMIT! HE IS SERIOUS!"

With the element of confusion dispelled, Keitaro lunged towards the tanned princess and grabbed her by the throat. Her wide smile faded and her green eyes that contained childish glee was replaced by a look that spelled utter horror.

Time seemed to have stood still for everyone involved. The dozuki was slowly but surely advancing towards Suu's temple; ready to give the kiss of death.

Only a few inches away, the backsaw was stopped by a bokken. The sound of metal chewing through wood snapped the residents back to reality. It was no game. Keitaro was determined to kill Kaolla.

Motoko only had a splitsecond to think. The upper part of her bokken which she used to block the slash was now sawed off, but the dozuki was still nearing its target. She knew that her training sword would not be able to handle the stress of her ki; it would only explode into a hundred splinters. And even if that was possible, using a sword technique would be too unwieldy and might come too late. She had to improvise—and she had to do it fast.

"ZANKUSHO!"

Keitaro's jaw was nearly ripped off by the impact of a bullet-like ki projectile. The force was enough to make him unhand the princess, but not his weapon. Not giving him any time to react, Motoko unleashed five more ki-bullets in rapid succession which sent Keitaro flying outside the apartments; destroying a wall in the process.

"Motoko! What were you thinking?" Haruka nearly screamed as she bolted out of the newly created hole to check on her nephew.

"Haruka-san!" Motoko warned the eldest Urashima, "Don't come near him, he's dangerous!" She was about to follow her when she was held back by her boyfriend's hand. "Isamu let me go! Haruka-san is not safe with him!"

"I won't be worrying with Haruka. I'd rather be worried about her." Isamu responded while pointing his thumb at Suu. Her condition seemed to have worsen. Her breathing was now ragged, and her eyes kept on streaming fearful tears. The others surrounded her and tried their best to comfort her.

Kaolla was not the only one shocked to the point of speechlessness. Even Naru and Kanako were greatly disturbed by what they saw. Though they were not crying like the tanned princess, their silence and lack of immediate response on the whole matter also garnered the attention of their friends.

Urashima growled under his breath. The situation must be controlled and order must be brought to the chaos; he quickly did an assessment of the dilemma they were facing.

Of all the six clones—he knew that all of them had fighting skills of some degree—only three were totally "capable of fighting"; that would be him, Isamu, and Shinichi. He was sure of this since the two were his most formidable foes back then during his rampage. Looking around, he knew he was correct. Haru was a lost cause, he already fainted along with the Okinawan. Aoi could never be asked to do any fighting; his easygoing nature was totally against getting physically hurt. Makoto, the eternal social worker, who balanced his attention towards the shocked residents, might just prove to be a liability.

Motoko could easily bring down his progenitor, that he was sure of. But something told him that she was best left protecting Kaolla. "Okay, look here," the evil clone began, "There's something wrong with Original. And we better shape him up."

"That is most obvious," Shinichi responded. "But what worries me is the reason for such strange behavior."

"To hell with the reasons brains," Isamu slashed out, "How the hell can you stay so calm after what happened? Keitaro was really dead-set on killing Suu."

"Isamu-kun, I better deal with our kanrinin."

"No, Mo-chan. We'll be the one doing the talking to him. Stay here and make sure the others are okay."

"But---" Motoko's protest was quickly muffed by a kiss.

"Don't worry Mo-chan, I can handle myself pretty well. After all, we did some training together."

"Alright then, take care Isamu-kun. And please knock some sense to our beloved kanrinin. Just don't hurt him too much."

"I will."

*****

Meanwhile, Haruka was shaking Keitaro to wake him up. "Kei! Kei! What's wrong with you? Answer me!"

Her voice made the kanrinin stir and when he saw her, a pleasant smile etched his face. "Haruka-obasan."

She did not mind that he called her with that word she hated the most. All that mattered was he was alright. But she had to know why he did the things that he did. "What were you doing back then? That was so stupid! You could have killed Suu!"

"That's the idea." Keitaro said while standing up, his grip on the backsaw became harder than ever.

"Don't be stupid Kei!" Haruka locked her nephew in a tight embrace. "What's wrong with you? This isn't like you. Stop this already." Tears began to fall down on the woman's face.

"I'm sorry Haruka-obasan."

"Sorry? What do---" she failed to finish her question as a sickening strong punch wormed itself on her stomach.

"Sweet dreams, obasan." Keitaro gave her a tender peck on the cheek and gently laid her down on the ground.

*****

"WHAT THE HELL?" Urashima bellowed out at the sight of a downed Haruka.

"C'mon!" Isamu called to the intellectual and evil clones as he stepped out of the door and ran towards Keitaro.

Shinichi and Urashima followed suit. The three of them stopped after they reached a certain distance. "I believe it would be best to keep some space from him. He still has that saw. We excite him too much and he might do something to Haruka."

"Good idea brains," Urashima snorted out. "The best way to stop him is for us to take him on at the same time. Three on one."

"You really are evil, you pedo." Isamu cracked his knuckles, "That's pretty cowardly. I saw we do a gauntlet. Good old one on one fight."

"You're getting way above your head emo. We might be good at fighting at all, but..."

"But what?" both Isamu and Shinichi asked at the same time.

"He's still the Original." Those words made the two reconsider. They knew that Keitaro was the culmination of all six of them; it just so happened that their progenitor was less inclined to be violent, confident, and to be smart that the usual result was that he fails in the things that he do. But still, Keitaro learned Jeet Kune Do from Seta and if he focused hard enough, that could only mean trouble.

A deep sigh escaped from the kanrinin as he saw his three clones; all ready to face him if he goes on with his plan. Nonetheless, he gave them an ample warning, that somehow had a hint of pleading at the same time. "Get out of the way. This doesn't concern the three of you. Or all six of you. I'm only here for Suu."

"What the hell is wrong with you Original? You're not the type to go psycho all of a sudden."

"Urashima, I think calling him with those names might just infuriate him."

"Oi! Shut it the two of you. If Keitaro wants a beating so he'll snap back into place, then we better give it to him."

Keitaro knew it was useless to parlay with them. He simply placed the dozuki on the ground, near the sleeping Haruka, and took of his coat. He then went on to fold the sleeves of his shirt and cracked his knuckles and neck.

"Just what the hell are you up to Original? Are you really serious in killing Suu? I know she could be quite a handful, but killing her is way out of line."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. And I'm supposed to be evil remember?"

"Oh, c'mon! Nuff talk! We beat him down and talk to him later!" Isamu roared as he attacked Keitaro.

"Goddammit emo! How about a fucking strategy first."

"I don't think that would be necessary."

"And you're supposed to be a genius."

"Our personalities would be very much against each other. Besides, Isamu is already confident he can take Keitaro alone. And just my honest opinion, my strategy would be very hard for the two of you to comprehend. Hence, our 'teamwork' would be nothing but total disaster."

"Somethings telling me that we're all gonna regret not teaming up for this."

*****

"C'mon Keitaro! How about saying 'I give up' right now so we wouldn't have to this." Isamu bellowed out as he released several straight punches and hooks which Keitaro simply dodged.

"You're not my enemy Isamu. I'm not here to hurt anyone but Suu."

"Hurt?" Isamu asked while he unleashed a roundhouse kick that Keitaro simply blocked with his shin. "You were out to kill her!"

"I stand corrected then." the kanrinin deadpanned as he jumped backwards and assumed a more battle-ready stance. "I don't want to hurt you. But if you leave me no choice---"

"You're only choice is to listen and snap out of it!" Isamu resumed his barrage of punches and kicks.

A smirk came out of Keitaro's face as he observed his opponent's attacks. From what he could see, his clone was definitely determined to drop him on the ground. Every shot that came out of Isamu spelled confidence; but that same confidence would prove to be his own undoing.

Each and every one of those attacks were becoming more and more complicated. The simple punches like the straight and the hook were being replaced by knifehand strikes and hammerfists. Those strikes would have proven fatal—or in Keitaro's case damaging—if only they were executed in a proper manner. Even the kicks were changing, Isamu unloaded several axe kicks that left him very vulnerable.

Still, Keitaro did not use those opportunities; talking was still an option for him. "Isamu, don't make me hurt you."

"Who said I'm the one who's gonna get hurt?"

"Listen to me---"

"NO! You listen to me! Just stop this already." Isamu paused his attacks to gain some breath. "You don't want this Keitaro."

"No I don't. I don't want to hurt you. But don't get in my way."

Isamu answered back with a well executed butterfly kick.

That was the final straw.

Keitaro knew that his clone had been training with Motoko. That would have given him access to various knowledge of the martial arts. But there was a terrible flaw that rested deep within Isamu.

It was his confidence.

Butterfly kicks were aesthetically appealing to see, and if that move was executed by a master, it would be totally devastating. But Isamu was no master. He failed to understand that the butterfly kick was, first and foremost, a defensive maneuver against an opponent's floor sweep attack. The airborne status of the practitioner would then be able to land a more powerful kick to their enemy's vulnerable spot.

Keitaro's answer was the most logical move.

When his clone finally landed on the ground, he quickly replied with a low spinning sweep kick. Isamu failed to defend due to his recent airborne episode, resulting with him falling down on the ground. The kanrinin wasted no time, he immediately followed up with a vicious stomp on the stomach.

Isamu effectively immobilized.

*****

"ISAMU-KUN!" Motoko became frantic at the sight of her lover's predicament. She wanted to go out there, but remembered what he told her. The Shinmeiryuu heiress could only grit her teeth and grind her hands against each other.

"H-how is this happening?" Makoto was flabbergasted at the sight of Keitaro beating Isamu. "Keitaro-kun would never do something like that!"

"He just did!" Motoko hacked back at him with tears in her eyes. "Get me the Hina Blade!"

Kanako regained her composure due to the swordswoman's outburst. "NO! I will not allow you to hurt my onii-chan!"

She pushed herself to against the others but Kitsune held her back. "Kanako, I know this sounds weird. But that is not Keitaro!"

"I'm not stupid! I know what my brother is really like! I know his true self! Unlike all of you who just went out with his..." She tried to find a word to describe the clones. "Fakes! You all fell in love with fakes! You don't care for my onii-chan! You never did!"

Motoko and Kitsune were taken aback by her pronouncement. A small feeling of doubt ebbed in their hearts.

"That's not true Kanako. We do care for him."

Kanako turned to Naru and asked her a very hard question. "Then why? Why are you with him?" she pointed to Makoto who immediately became downcast. "My onii-chan loved you, Naru."

Naru's eyes spelled shock. She tried to answer, but her mouth could not say anything; no words, not even a sound came out.

"I'm going to him. Don't you even dare stop me." the adopted Urashima warned.

"Kanako! Don't!" but they were too late, she quickly flashed out through the door.

*****

"Don't tell me that you'll also get in my way."

Shinichi adjusted his glasses before answering, "Of course. You pose a threat to all of us."

"Isamu's still alive if that's what you're going to ask. And no, I have no plans of killing you."

"Except for Suu? Am I right Keitaro? I'm sorry but I will stop you."

Keitaro's eyebrow arched at the intellectual clone's statement. "Are you telling me that you won't even gang up on me?"

"No Original, we won't. I just hope you come back to your senses."

"I'm not insane Urashima. I'm just out for vengeance."

"Vengeance? For what? Suu never did anything to you!"

Keitaro simply remained silent. Urashima recognized his mistake and apologized. "Alright, so that mad scientist did a lot of experiments on you. But nothing bad ever happened, right? No harm done!"

"You wouldn't understand. Now, get out my way, unless you want to be like Isamu there."

"Very well then Keitaro. You leave me no choice." Shinichi turned to Urashima and reminded him, "Leave this to me, it's part of my strategy."

"I just hope you know what you're doing brains."

Without any warning, the gray-haired clone lunged at Keitaro with a deadly one-two punch combination which soundly connected to both sides of the kanrinin's face. He quickly followed through with a spinning elbow strike that sent Keitaro rolling backwards to the ground.

Keitaro spat some blood and rubbed his cheeks as he stood up and commented, "Not bad. That hurts."

"I'm not as defenseless as I look. Now, shall we---" Shinichi's invitation to continue was rudely interrupted by a distraught Kanako who shoved him to the side and stood between him and Keitaro. "If you want to hurt my onii-chan, then you'll have to go through me!" she then spread her arms wide open; making herself a human shield in the process.

"Kanako," Keitaro whispered to her softly, "I appreciate your concern. But you don't have to. This one's personal."

"But onii-chan..." she faced him with a most loving face and eyes which made Keitaro smile. He gently cupped her cheek with his left hand, giving it an affectionate rub. She smiled at his touch, failing to notice the right knifehand strike to her neck that knocked her unconscious. Just like with Haruka, Keitaro caught her as she fell and gently laid her down on the ground while giving her a peck on the cheek.

He turned his attention to Shinichi who was glaring at him. "Where were we?"

"I must say that was totally out of line. First Haruka, then Kanako? Never in my memory did you hit a girl Keitaro."

"They're still alive."

"That's not the point." Shinichi assumed a proprietary stance and continued, "Let's finish this." Not waiting for an answer, he quickly unloaded another lightning fast one-two punch combination. This time, however, Keitaro managed to dodge them and replied with a punch of his own. Shinichi evaded it and released a fast rising uppercut that caught the kanrinin's chin.

For his part, Keitaro stepped back and assessed his intellectual clone. There was something flawed in his movement, just like Isamu; any fighter would always have a flaw. His strikes were methodical and well thought, which fitted his personality; but there was something else to that. A theory quickly surfaced in the kanrinin's brain. He then decided to test it by releasing a side kick. It only caught air due to Shinichi's quick evasive movement and before the kanrinin could regain his footing, the intellectual clone counterattacked with another uppercut.

Keitaro smiled a little. He brushed off the pain in his jaw and shot back with a combination of punches and kicks. Again, all of them were evaded by Shinichi's constant bobbing and weaving. Once again he decided to test the theory he had in mind. He threw a jab which his clone easily parried and—as he expected—once again, his jaw felt another solid uppercut make contact.

A wider smile crawled on Keitaro's face.

"Don't tell me you like being hit."

"No, I don't. But tell me, you're stalling aren't you?"

It was Shinichi's turn to smile. "To be honest, yeah. I know for a fact that I won't last long."

"Then why fight? And why fight alone?"

"Because," the clone adjusted his glasses and continued to lecture with a scholarly tone. "If we all attacked you at the same time, it would have only agitated you more. Who knows, you could've defeated us faster that way. If one does not give their opponent room to breathe, they would do everything to gain back space; Sun Tzu advised against such swarming tactics, give your enemy false hopes, so to speak."

"So you want to win by attrition, is that it?" Keitaro readied himself to attack, "Then I guess I better do this fast."

"Not if I can help it."

They both resumed their vicious exchange. However, Keitaro already knew how the fight would end. Shinichi, despite being a technical and scientific fighter, had one glaring flaw. A flaw that could be easily exploited. Keitaro threw a weak jab towards his opponent, knowing very well what the counterattack would be.

A quick parry and an uppercut to the head.

Keitaro braced for the impact, _"It's too early to do it..."_ As expected, the blunt force made him step back a little.

Shinichi homed in for the kill—or so he thought.

Like in the earlier exchange, the clone shot another one-two punch combination; Keitaro nonchalantly received the blows, knowing full well what to expect. _"If Isamu was too confident..."_

With the false advantage on Shinichi's side, he unleashed the strike that Keitaro predicted: a spinning elbow crush.

"_You fail because of a pattern that you didn't bother to change."_

Keitaro immediately sidestepped away from the incoming strike. This surprised Shinichi whose elbow found nothing but air. Without any hesitations, Keitaro stormed three lightning fast kicks in succession; the first aimed at the leg, the second targeted the midsection, and the third was fired at the temple. All three made solid contact, making the clone crumple to the ground.

*****

"This is getting serious. We better call the police." Makoto nervously said as he saw the second clone fall down.

"In my experience, that would just amount to more trouble. And I doubt it that they can do anything."

"Kitsune, this is not the time for you to be worried. This is not a misdemeanor we're talking about."

"Goddammit! What the hell do you mean by that? I'm no criminal!"

"Kitsune, Makoto-san, calm down the two of you." Mokoto commanded. "This is not the right time for us to break into a fight."

"But what will we do Mokoto?" Naru asked the swordswoman. "You saw what Keitaro can do."

"I'm aware of that Naru-senpai. Now concerning my request earlier, can somebody go to my room and get the Hina Blade."

"Can't you just get it?" the fox muttered incredulously.

"Suu needs me more than just protection." she poined at the princess who tightly hugged her, unwilling to let go. "She feels much safer with me here."

"Alright, I'll get it."

"But Na-chan!"

"Makoto-kun, please understand, I also care about Keitaro. But this is different." she sped off for the stairs and quickly made her way to Motoko's room.

"Kitsune take this." Aoi handed the fox a baseball bat.

"What do you want me to do with this?"

"In case he goes after us, at least we got something to protect ourselves."

Makoto became alarmed at the sight of the two weathered aluminum bats that seemed to have pain written all over . "Where did you get those?"

"Well, there was this batting cage where Kit and played some time ago. Let's just say I borrowed them bats, okay?"

"Good thinking on your part Aoi. But remember," the Shinmeiryuu heir warned. "A person may be easier to hit than a ball. But they think and plan their action, not just speed around."

"Motoko, wouldn't it be better if hide inside one of the rooms?" Naru suggested.

"That would be too risky. The cramped spaces will prevent me from using my skills to their fullest. As crazy as it sounds, the best strategy is to face our opponent in an open space."

*****

Unlike the two prior battles, no introductions were exchanged during Urashima and Keitaro's bout.

Words were not enough to describe how the two fought each other.

It was an all-out brawl fest. Both of them did not bother evading or parrying each other's attacks. They simply weathered their hard blows to each other and hit back with equal ferocity. One could say that Urashima had the upper hand, his strikes were relentless and fueled by an animalistic rage. Every blow that he uncaged hit Keitaro, whose face was already black and blue.

A sense of victory began to creep under Urashima's skin. Keitaro's counterattacks were becoming slower and his strikes were becoming weaker. Still, he tried to keep a leveled head. He would not be like Isamu who was easily defeated because of overconfidence; that was the mantra inside his head. However, there was something that he conveniently forgot.

Keitaro's nigh invulnerability.

Though he was in great pain, Keitaro felt that every fiber on his body were fixing themselves. Teeth that should have already ripped off, were planting itself solidly on his gums. The muscles that should have been bruised by the tremendous and constant blunt force, were slowly regaining its color. Even his face was slowly regenerating, the swelling would healed so fast; the only thing that stopped a complete recovery was the constant barrage of strikes from Urashima.

After what seemed to have been an eternity of fighting, the two took a break from each other. Both were panting like dogs. One, however, was quickly regaining his strength.

"Goddammit, Original, why are you doing this?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"That's because you're not telling."

"Funny," Keitaro said as flexed his arms. "You're the one who didn't want to talk at first."

"Then let's talk, goddammit!"

"Fine then, what do you want to talk about?"

"This!" Urashima exclaimed as he looked around and pointed on the fallen and unconscious people around them. "What the hell is the meaning of this? Haruka, Kanako, Isamu, and Shinichi; all of them beaten up by you!"

"They were in my way. And you'll soon follow if you don't step aside."

"So you could kill the brat? Goddammit I know how many times she experimented on you! You never really lashed out against her! So why now?"

"I don't have any obligation to tell you."

"This is because of us isn't it? It was because of Suu that we're here." Urashima pointed an accusing finger at Keitaro. "You're still angry at us. You still can't accept that we're here, breathing and living. You hate us don't you? You hate us because---"

Keitaro cut him in, "Because you and the rest of my clones stole my life?"

Urashima was not able to respond.

Keitaro continued, "Honestly? Yeah. But I got no time to hate all of you. Only one—and that is Suu. After all, you never did ask come here in this world, it wasn't your fault. It was because of the damn brat. She's the one that stole my life, she..."

His words trailed off for a moment. He remembered what Jimmy revealed to him. That painful revelation supported by irrefutable evidence. "She killed me. The day that she used that machine..." Keitaro's face began to water, looking down, he saw that gray concrete was being assaulted by his tears. "I died that day."

He did not notice that Urashima was already in front of him. The evil clone placed both of his hands on the kanrinin's shoulders, "Look, I don't know what's up with you dying and all. If you're trying to be poetic, you fail."

Keitaro did not give a reply. He continued staring down at the ground.

"Original, you were right. We didn't ask to be here. But we're here now, we can't change that anymore." Urashima gave him a brotherly grip on the shoulders. "But we can all make this work together, right?"

"I'm sorry."

"Well, I guess an apology is a good start, Original."

"Don't worry, I won't hurt Shinobu-chan."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

Keitaro quickly wrapped Urashima in a double collar tie and apologized once more in the form of a very unforgiving front knee strike to the head. Not taking any chances, he added a vicious elbow crush to the clone's shoulder. Urashima was not knocked out, but the pain was enough to paralyze him.

As if on cue, Shinobu came running towards her senpai. Along with her was Motoko, Hina Blade in hand, and the rest of the gang who wanted to make sure that the resident chef would be alright.

True to his word, Keitaro did nothing to the girl. He simple passed by her, not even giving her a look. Instead, his eyes were focused on the Molmolian princess. Motoko noticed this and quickly unsheathed the katana. "Kanrinin-san! Stop this madness now!"

"Keitaro-kun, please listen to her! Listen to us!" Makoto tried to run towards but him but was grabbed by Naru, "Na-chan?"

"Makoto-kun, don't. Let Motoko do handle this."

"But he'll get hurt!"

"Did you see what he did to them? He'll hurt you too! I don't want that to happen!"

"But Shinobu, he didn't do anything to Shinobu!"

"Nonetheless, we cannot take that risk." Motoko gripped her katana with both hands. "Stay back the rest of you. I'll knock some sense in our beloved kanrinin's head."

Keitaro braced himself for another fight. Despite his injuries being healed, the pain was still there. But there was another factor that he knew that could prevent him from getting his revenge.

Fatigue.

He knew that his immortality could take care of his injuries. But that was not a guarantee that weariness will not claim his body. He knew he had to finish fast.

When he saw that Motoko was already airborne and ready to release her ki, he remembered the necklace that Jimmy gave to him.

"_If ever you find yourself...in danger, just say the phrase: strangle and feast."_

As if by instinct, Keitaro treated his left arm like a rifle. He aimed it at the airborne swordswoman and locked his gaze at her.

Motoko readied her arm in a slashing stance and shouted, "HIKEN..."

If the Shinmeiryuu heiress needed to shout, Keitaro felt that all he needed was a whisper, "Strangle..."

"...ZANKUSEN!"

"...and feast."

A vicious gust of wind exploded from Mokoto's katana; accelerating downward towards the kanrinin.

The necklace, which Keitaro treated as a bracelet, began to loosen a little around his wrist. Without any warning, the hairs suddenly came to life and extended towards Motoko; negating the wind that came from her ki-strike. It snaked itself on her arms and legs and firmly held her in the air.

"What sorcery is this?" Motoko muttered under her breath as she tried to make sense of her predicament.

Even the others were awestruck; none of them moved or even spoke. The same could be said for Keitaro who never had an idea what the necklace was capable of doing.

What happened next, would be one of the things that Keitaro would regret the most.

One of the four pieces of teeth that adorned the grim accessory began to glow an unholy red. It suddenly detached itself from the rest and floated in the air for a few seconds. Then it exploded into numerous enamel daggers and quickly flew towards Motoko's direction.

"_NO! NO! This is not how I want it to happen! She doesn't have to die!"_

Despite the fear in her heart, Motoko managed to calm herself. With her hands tied down, there was no way she could use her katana. She then opted to use another Shinmeiryuu palm technique. "ZANKUSHO-KEN!"

Another ki-blast erupted from her palm. If the first technique she used was like a pistol, this one, like a shotgun. Several bullets of ki scattered against the enamel daggers, making them explode upon contact.

One dagger, however, managed to weather the assault.

"MOTOKO!"

Blood flowing out of her, the ropes of hair violently threw her on the ground.

Kitsune and Aoi gained an uncanny sense of courage. The lovers slugged Keitaro with numerous swings from their baseball bats; tears in their eyes because of the sight of the fallen swordswoman. At first, the kanrinin could not do anything but take the hits. A part of his mind was still in shock. He never expected the thing that would happen if he used the necklace.

"Bastard!" Another hit came from Kitsune. "You bastard! What the hell do you want?"

Keitaro felt his skull crack. His vision dimmed. Whatever it is he wanted to do seemed unclear for the moment.

His id talked to him once more, _"Did she really matter to you? Or rather, do they really matter to you? You just killed one of them, you won't make any difference even if you killed some more."_

"_Shut up! I don't want to talk to you!"_

"_Be my guest then. But remember, the more you hesitate in hurting them, the greater the chances that you might kill them."_

Opening his eyes, Keitaro saw two aluminum bats speeding towards his face. He quickly ducked and rolled to his right side. When he saw his aggressor, Aoi, he did not waste any time in bringing him down; all it needed was a roundhouse kick. He the felt another blow hit him in the back of the neck; he knew it was Kitsune. Turning around, he failed to dodge another swing and saw his own blood turn his vision red. The fox was fuming mad in her swings, the directions were totally random. Knowing that prolonging the fight would just tire him, Keitaro weathered two or three more hits in order to close in their distance to each other. This made it difficult for Kitsune swing her bat, but easy enough for the kanrinin to land a sickening punch to her liver. The impact made her puke all that she have drank that day before she became unconscious.

Breathing hard, he looked around and saw that only Naru and Makoto remained. The two were still in shock of what happened, so he just ignored them and walked towards Suu who was beside Motoko; prodding and pleading at her, checking any signs of life.

She did not notice his heavy steps, nor his murderous breath. But she felt his murdering hands around her neck, determined to make her suffer before she met her maker.

"You..." Keitaro spat out her name with acidic venom. "Motoko was not supposed to get hurt. If you just died so quickly...then she would still be alive!"

Suu cried at his cruel words, at his scornful eyes, and at his unforgiving grip which was breaking the tiny bones in her neck.

Keitaro wanted her to die slowly and painfully. It was a fitting death to the one who cause him so much misery.

But in the baseball field called Life, things rarely go to plan. Fate was not in its third pitch; the first was a fastball and the second was a curve ball.

She assessed the situation. She knew that using one of her flash or slashing techniques could harm the girl. So, as much as she was tempted to, she stayed her hand away from her shirazaya. Instead, she shifted the weight on her legs and assumed a position that resembled a tiger, ready to pounce on its prey. Gritting her teeth, she launched herself towards Keitaro's direction, covering a considerable distance, in one single leap.

It was now the time for the third pitch. Fate spat the bubblegum on the rough dirt patch of the pitcher's mound and quickly threw a slow and deceptive palmball.

"GURENKEN!"

Numerous strikes consisting of straight punches, backhands, and palms, forced their way on Keitaro's body. The sheer force of impact, not to mention the number, made him lose his grip on Suu; allowing the princess to breath once more.

With the potential collateral damage out the way, she took a step back and unsheathed her sword while shouting, "HIKEN ZANKUSEN!"

Keitaro flew a considerable distance away from her. She did not sheathe back her shirazaya, knowing all too well that he would be back. A small, pained voice was shocked to see her arrive, "Ane-ue?"

"Forgive me for my tardiness imouto, it is just that I felt I needed to find someone, but failed."

Motoko cradled her bleeding arm as she sat up. "Where is Suu-chan?"

At the mention of her name, Suu quickly made her way towards Motoko and hugged her. The swordswoman hugged back, delighted in knowing that the girl was safe. "Ane-ue, there is something wrong with our kanrinin. His behavior seemed totally out of character."

"Hush, Motoko, he is here." Both of them saw Keitaro, walking towards them.

"Please ane-ue, do your best not to harm him. Some sort of evil seems to possess him. Earlier, he used a bracelet that reeked of foul sorcery."

"Sorcery you say? It seems that man was more of a troublemaker that I have imagined."

"Man?"

"That discussion would be best done in another time. For now, I must deal with your kanrinin." She walked towards him, more than ready to use her sword.

Once again, the slugger failed to hit the ball. It was the third strike.

Aoyama Tsuruko had arrived.

"Urashima Keitaro-han. This madness ends now."

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

shirazaya – a katana without a hilt, just like Motoko's earlier sword.

Ane-ue & imouto – elder and younger sister, respectively.

Zankusho (San) – Air Cutting Palm, the one with "San" has Scatter in it, both techniques releases ki like bullets.

Gurenken – Crimson Lotus Fist, fist strikes fused with ki,

Hiken Zankusen – Air Cutting Flash

I used some liberty in the skills of the Aoyama sisters. As far as I know, those are also Shinmeiryuu techniques, albeit used in Negima. And yes, once again my evil side surfacs because of another cliffhanger. Sorry about that, the chapter was getting insanely long by my standards. And I was afraid I might have a burnout if I continued.

As usual comments, critiques, and even flames are encouraged. This chapter had four fighting scenes on them, and knowing your feedback will tell me if I succeeded in wring a decent piece of action.

Cheers! See you in the next chapter.


	17. Mad, Sad, and Bad Women

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I recently re-installed Diablo 2 and it got me hooked. Not to mention that I also have to study for my country's civil service exams. Well, gotta grow up and get a job. As usual, reviews will be very much appreciated and if you're going to flame, at least make is substantial. R&R people!

Abel Nightcross: Thanks. Here is the update, I hope you enjoy!

Wonderbee31: Well, Kei vs Tsu here.

Perfectzero001: A darkfic? Maybe in the future.

YoungKonoha: Thanks, I tried my best on the action on this one.

windybreeze: Both things are hard to do, I just hope my best came out of here.

Squire of Gothos: More Naru angst coming up then!

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 17: Mad, Sad, and Bad Women**

Blood dripped from Keitaro's lips.

While he spat some out, he saw that Motoko was still alive. He felt some sense of relief flood all over him. Somehow, his natural kindness was still anchored inside. His revenge will only involve the one that needs to be punished—and that would be Suu, only her and no one else..

"Stop where you stand and yield kanrinin-han." Tsuruko pointed the tip of her blade against him, implying that what she said was more of a threat than a suggestion.

"Don't get in my way. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore."

"Hurt me?" Tsuruko's eyebrow arched in a slightly arrogant manner. "I highly doubt that, kanrinin-han."

Keitaro emitted a deep sigh as he lunged at the woman. Despite his determination, he felt that his legs were already wobbly because of fatigue. But he told himself that he had to go on. When he reached Tsuruko in a considerable distance, he quickly unloaded three successive kicks.

All of them were blocked by her saya.

Trying not to show his shock, Keitaro ignored the pain on his instep and responded back with a floor sweep.

Again, nothing was hit.

He looked up and saw Tsuruko airborne, somersaulting in the air to gain some distance. As she landed, he saw the smile on her face and knew that she was only toying with him. "You're not taking me seriously aren't you?"

Tsuruko smiled again, "There is no need. I can see that you are already weary from your last fight."

"What's up with the katana then?"

"Just to show that I will use it," her tone hinted danger. "If you prove to be really stubborn."

"Then, I'll make you!" Keitaro disappeared in a flash.

For her part, Tsuruko swung her saya to her left side. She was not surprised that it hit something. Or rather, someone, since it hit Keitaro. What unnerved her was the young man's glare; not to mention the blood on his face. She then realized that the impact to his temple broke the skin and made him bleed; his grim determination which fuel him made his eyes burn.

That momentary lapse gave the kanrinin a chance to strike back. Taking hold of Tsuruko's wrist, he pounded her elbow with a hammerfist in an effort to dislocate her. Releasing her from his hold, he then followed up with a killing neck chopper and ended with a high reverse roundhouse kick which sent the swordswoman spinning in the air.

Keitaro felt exhilarated—and guilty—at the same time. But all of that disappeared when he saw Tsuruko solidly land on the ground on two feet. _"What the hell?"_ He was sure all of strikes hit home, not to mention that he placed all of his strength in those blows. An ordinary human would have been dead from the neck chopper alone. But the swordswoman just shrugged it off, like how one would remove fallen leaves on their hair.

A faint blue aura seemed to burn around her features. Something instinctive made the kanrinin lower his glasses; when he did that, he saw nothing different. Tsuruko was still standing there, the blue aura was gone but the smile on her was not. When he put his glasses back on, the blue aura was not so faint anymore—it burned. It reminded him of the hue of the flame from a gas stove, only more intense.

"_Well Jimmy, I guess I really have to thank you for what you did to my glasses."_

_*****_

"Unbelievable." Makoto muttered out loud at what he saw.

"Those blows..." Motoko's voice was pained yet clear, "They did nothing to my sister."

More pained groans wafted through the night. Naru looked around and saw that the others were slowly getting up.

"Senpai, please don't move too much. You'll hurt yourself." Shinobu squealed as she helped Urashima stand up. The evil clone was not knocked out, but the pain in his body was enough to dull his motor skills.

"I'll be fine Shinobu-chan. Just get me to Original."

"Still haven't giving up talking to him?"

Urashima looked back and saw Shinichi limping around.

"Original got you good, huh?"

"Obviously."

"Mo-chan," Isamu groaned while clutching his pained stomach, "What's happening?"

"Isamu-kun!" the swordswoman ran to her lover with Suu still clinging to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he weakly replied. "But Suu..."

"Suu?" Motoko looked at the princess and saw the almost vacant look on what used to be lively eyes.

"Goodness, oh please don't tell me so." the social worker mumbled as he grabbed Suu from Motoko and examined the princess.

"What's wrong, Makoto-kun?" Naru asked, undoubtedly worried from the look on her boyfriend's eyes.

"She's in shock." Haruka muttered as she pulled herself to them while laboring to carry a still unconscious Kanako.

"In shock?" Both Naru and Motoko gasped in disbelief.

Kaolla, despite being in her adult form could only whimper and sob and point at Tsuruko and Keitaro's ensuing battle.

"What's wrong Suu?" Makoto asked again. Worried lines on his face began to appear and harden when he received no words but only crying once more.

"I think," Shinichi's scholarly tone knifed through them, "That it's logical to assume that after the slashing episode, not to mention Keitaro trying to choke her to death, that she is now suffering some sort of psychological trauma."

"I guess that's because Original just took all those shitty experiments from her and didn't even lashed out. Not even once."

"Urashima-kun those words will not help her!"

"Really? Look social worker, I know that we never did like to get all those punches, kicks, and experiments. But since you're his kind side---"

"That's enough!" Haruka's harsh tone stopped what could have been another verbal war. "I'm worried for my nephew, but I'm also worried for Suu. Sure, I'm all for giving her a lesson to the things she did, I'll even let Kei do it if he wants to. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to happily allow him to have a killing rampage."

"Haruka-san," Naru pleaded to the eldest Urashima, "Please talk to Keitaro! Maybe you can still stop him!"

"I think Tsuruko would be enough." Haruka sighed at the sight of his nephew exchanging blows with the elder Aoyama. "I just hope he's not out of our reach anymore."

Any further talk was cut off by an explosion.

Motoko quickly shielded herself and the others from the flying debris of rocks by executing numerous slashes; this resulted in gray colored dust floating through the air.

"I hope your sister can restrain herself Motoko." Haruka said as she watched her nephew slide on the ground to evade another attack.

Another whimper came out of Suu. She stood up and almost got ready to walk towards Keitaro. But Naru stopped her. "Suu, don't! You might get hurt."

Kaolla tried to break free from the redhead's grasp. When she failed, she just cried again in a voiceless manner that made the others to worry a lot more.

*****

Keitaro cursed under his breath.

Unlike before, Tsuruko did not play around with him anymore. But still, he saw no effort on her part. He knew it was a bad sign. It only showed the large chasm between their skills. He touched his left wrist, where Jimmy's dark gift rested. Something was telling him to use it again, but he decided not to. No doubt about it, that the elder Aoyama had seen what he did, and that she might have prepared a deadly response.

"That's is a most interesting accessory kanrinin-han. Tell me, did someone give it to you?"

"That's none of your business."

"Hmph, very well then." Tsuruko looked towards where Motoko was and asked, "Imouto, do you have any idea where your kanrinin acquired that grim bracelet?"

"No, we actually tried to get answers from him. But he didn't budge." Motoko answered back, obviously puzzled by what seemed to be a very inappropriate topic in a fight.

"I see," Tsuruko immediately ducked to evade a deadly roundhouse kick to the head. Shifting her weight to one foot, she spun around and bashed Keitaro with blunt side of her shirazaya. The impact made the kanrinin roll to the ground.

When he got up, he found out that the bridge of his nose was broken and blood was stemming out.

"My, my kanrinin-han," Tsuruko's tone was a mix of a playful and taunting melody. "A fight with an older woman turns you on, doesn't it?"

Keitaro knew that it was better to keep silent. She was taunting him in order for him to make mistakes in his next attack. Though he really wanted to go berserk, he knew that it would be very detrimental; for he would be sacrificing his defense for such a feat.

He readied himself once more and lunged at Tsuruko. He quickly sidestepped to avoid the swing of her saya. The elder Aoyama smiled coolly as she shifted her blade to its blunt side and swung again. Keitaro avoided that one too, and was now mere inches apart from her. He quickly wrapped her sword arm in a lock and pounded her face with fanatical zealousness.

When he felt that she had enough, he stopped to check on her. To his horror, Tsuruko's face was virtually unharmed and harbored a killer's serene smile. Keitaro quickly released her and gave the woman a hasty straight kick to push her outside of his personal space.

"Surprised?"

H-how did you?"

"That's a Shinmeiryuu secret." Tsuruko arranged her hair in a nonchalant manner and asked, "About that bracelet, did a man in a gray suit give you that? Or perhaps he was in a different set of clothes. Very colorful I must say; brown, green, and gray. He is the type that you might not even see."

At the mention of Jimmy's choice of clothes, Keitaro paled.

*****

Every one of them was in total shock.

Are you sure that you're sister is not some sort of demon, Mo-chan?" Isamu asked with unbelieving eyes.

"That's a variation of the Gurenken." Motoko's reply had a hint of pride. "Instead of focusing the ki in the hands, she places it on the parts where she would be likely hit, like a shield. That just shows how great my sister is, she can channel her ki into almost anything. From her palms, to her shirazaya, even perhaps to mundane things. But to transfer it quickly to one body part to another in a matter of seconds, is a hallmark of a true master."

"So you're telling me that Original is gonna get owned?"

Motoko sighed, "I'm afraid so Urashima."

They watched the battle in rapt silence, and while they were at it, they still wondered what made Keitaro snap. Tsuruko's comment about the bracelet struck them as odd, but slowly they were piecing a theory in their minds.

"Hey, Mo-chan, you and you're sister are exorcists, right?"

"Yes, Shinichi. Why do you ask this now?"

"I hate saying this, since I consider myself a man of science. But I think he's possessed."

Haruka turned her attention to the intellectual clone. "What made you say that?"

"Well, I'm just theorizing here, but just add that morbid bracelet and his behavior right now."

"I think that is a plausible theory Shinichi," Motoko agreed with him. "But I don't see anything around our beloved kanrinin."

"Mo-chan, I guess you were losing focus since I came here." Isamu apologized while scratching his head.

"That's not..." the Shinmeiryuu heiress stopped herself from uttering a denial. Her boyfriend may have had a point. Turning her gaze intently at Keitaro, she then tried to concentrate despite the ongoing carnage.

*****

"Was I correct?" Tsuruko asked, noticing the kanrinin's expression. "You might want to know that the man who gave you that dabbles in the most unholy magics. He even tried to erase my memory. But he underestimated me. The best he could do was to make me forget for a while."

Keitaro replied with an obscene spinning backhand followed by a rising knee. Tsuruko promptly blocked those attacks and answered back with a whirling bash to the young man's ribs. She then channeled some ki in scabbard and bashed him again to gain some space.

"As I was saying," she calmly continued, "Though he made me forget his face and other features, which now I fully remember. The one thing I did not forget the most was his magic. You see, magic is like a fine dish. It has recipes, aroma, and flavor." Tsuruko pointed her blade at Keitaro, "And that bracelet of yours reeks of the stench of his foul sorcery. I wonder what he offered to you, kanrinin-han."

"He offered his help." Keitaro smugly answered as he dashed towards his opponent.

Tsuruko smiled and did a sidestep, then used her saya to trip Keitaro onto the ground. "Help, you say? Are you blind? He's using you for some nefarious end! If you listened to the news, a man in a gray suit was found near several crime scenes. And when I saw him, he already changed his outfit. Does that not make you any suspicious? Accepting help from someone that could be a murderer?"

Despite the fatigue, Keitaro's finesse was still intact. He managed to do a spin up and immediately followed with a floor sweep that caught the swordswoman. Mounting her before she could regain her footing, Keitaro went into a frenzy of hammerfists and elbow crushes.

"You...are...wasting...you're...time." Tsuruko's ever elegant face and smile was still untarnished despite the constant barrage of Keitaro's strikes.

*****

"By my ancestors!" Motoko hoarsely whispered as she saw what was enveloping the kanrinin.

Isamu, however, failed to understand the context of the swordswoman's worry. "Mo-chan, I think you're sister needs help."

"No," she mumbled while covering her mouth with a shaking hand. "It is our kanrinin that needs help."

"Dammit, kendo-girl are you blind? Original is pummeling your sister so hard that I think I could cheer for him." Urashima's statement garnered several quizzical looks from the others.

"You know, as much as I hate to say this," Haruka shivered as she continued, "But if Kei wins, I hardly believe we can stop him from killing Suu."

"No, that's not what I meant at all."

"What do you mean, Mo-chan?"

"I think I know the reason why ane-ue asked him about that bracelet. Perhaps it is because of the evil influence that has gripped our kanrinin's mind...or soul."

"So you mean my theory about Keitaro being possessed is plausible?" Shinichi asked.

"Yes, you're correct on that Shinichi."

"B-but your sister..."

All of them turned their attention to the recently awakened Kanako. "Your sister can get rid of that spirit, right?" the girl's ruby eyes glittered with worry.

"Yes, of course my sister can do that." Motoko assured all of them. "But..."

"But what?" all of them asked in unison.

"The problem is, if the spirit was only possessed him, it would be simple enough. But if some magic was used to meld it to him, to bind it to him, then it could be dangerous. Our powers do not discriminate when it comes to evil. If the kanrinin's soul has a taint of corruption, then..."

"Then what?" Naru asked the swordswoman. Her tone of voice and the sparkle in her eyes, seemed to resemble the old Narusegawa Naru; before Urashima Keitaro was split into six."

"There might be a chance that he will also get hurt."

"But Original...is immortal...right?" Urashima was not so sure whether his assurance would lighten the tension or make it worse.

All of them watched as Keitaro rained down more punches on Tsuruko's face. All of them, except for one, just saw an enraged man clubbing the elder Aoyama. Motoko, saw an entirely different story.

Black and menacing tendrils danced around Keitaro's body; hugging him, gripping him, never wanting to let go. What made it more disturbing for the younger Aoyama was that it all seemed to emanate from his left wrist.

*****

Tsuruko's patience was already at its peak. "I...suggest...that...you...stop, kanrinin-han."

Keitaro did not listen, he kept on with his assault. His hands were already experiencing some sort of friction burn due to the constant contact with Tsuruko's ki-shield. But he did not mind, the only thing in his head was to immobilize the woman so he could continue his quest for revenge.

With the lack of response, or rather, with the response only being pronounced in more and more strikes, Tsuruko finally had enough. Though Keitaro had her mounted, she knew several ways to do a reversal, all of them painful, if not, lethal. She channeled her ki to both her sword and scabbard, then sandwiched them between Keitaro's head; she was still careful though, for she used the blunt side of her shirazaya for the attack.

Dazed from the strike, Keitaro's barrage had a slight pause, and in a split-second, he found himself floating in mid-air; never knowing what did that to him. He shook of the initial shock and pain and forced himself to land on the ground on his two feet. As soon as he touched the concrete, he felt an enormous surge of power coming from the elder Aoyama. Looking up to her direction, he saw her being encircled by her ki. But what made him shiver was the thin lines of electricity that danced on her blade.

*****

Jimmy nearly spat out his lungs when the carbon monoxide flushed through his throat. _"The hell?"_

He stood up from the bench and looked around trying to find the source of the sudden energy surge. Knowing that his eyes were useless for the kind of situation, he sat down again and focused his mind. As soon as he felt the location of the power he felt, he quickly came to a conclusion. _"I recognize that kind of energy, it was that woman who saved my ass back then..."_ He gritted his teeth as another realization hit him straight in the face. _"Shit, the necklace that I gave to Taro, she must have followed its trail. That could only mean...she regained her memories! Damn, stupid, stupid, stupid! I shouldn't have underestimated her!"_

Knowing that he and Keitaro were in trouble, he quickly searched his pockets for the lock of hair he used earlier. Jimmy felt a pang of guilt at the sight of the brown strands, he remembered the pain that he made the boy go through. Again, he shook it off, there was no time for such regrets. Gripping the lock of hair hard, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

*****

"_Damn, I guess really serious now..." _Keitaro muttered to himself as he saw the frightening blue sparks around Tsuruko.

"_Hey, Taro!"_

"_Jimmy? How the hell?"_

"_Just don't ask, okay? Where the hell are you? Tell me, is a woman with you? White shirt, red skirt, carries a freaking sword like it's the Tokugawa era or something?"_

"_I'm in the middle of fighting her, Jimmy!"_

"_Oh shit, get the hell out of there!"_

"_Jimmy, not---"_ Keitaro's line of thought was broken when Tsuruko's saya nearly swiped him at the temple.

"My, my kanrinin-han, you seem to be distracted." Tsuruko noticed that Keitaro seemed to be multitasking, and from the corner of her eye, she could have sworn that his lips were quivering a while ago—as if taking to someone.

"You seem to be taking me seriously now, Tsuruko-san."

"And you're dropping your guard."

A single bead of sweat trickled under Keitaro's chin, he knew that he was not dropping his guard. It was just that he was so tired, and Jimmy butting into his head was more of a distraction than help.

"_Taro, I suggest you use that necklace I gave you."_

"_Jimmy," _Keitaro's mental tone contained an explosive anger. _"I almost killed someone because of this magic of yours!"_

"_Believe me kid, that's the only ace you've got against her. Besides, I know that she's powerful enough to counter that, the best it would do is to serve as some sort of distraction."_

"_What made you say that?"_

"_I tried to erase some of her memories, but if she found herself drawn to you because of the necklace, then that means she got it back. Only a few people can resist memory spells, and she's one of them. And I know that..."_

"_What?"_

"_I'm only guessing, but I think she's really pissed off."_

"_You don't have to tell me that Jimmy."_

"_Look, just use it and get the hell out of there!"_

"_What for? I'm supposed to die anyway, right?"_

"_Taro..."_

"_I appreciate your help Jimmy, but this is my fight. Please get out of my head."_

With the request, Jimmy's voice no longer echoed inside Keitaro's head. Looking towards Tsuruko, he saw that the electric buildup was more intense than ever. _"Looks like I have to use it again..."_

Keitaro pointed his left hand at the swordswoman and muttered the dreaded command word. As expected, thick tentacles of hair exploded from the bracelet and sped towards Tsuruko. The swordswoman simply sliced them all, eviscerating every strand into fine fiber. When the second of the four pieces of teeth detached itself and exploded into several bone daggers, she replied with a Zankusho-San that blew them all away; she deflected the remaining projectiles with her sword.

"_Oh no, Jimmy was right. There's just no use in trying to fight her! I better run!"_ But before Keitaro could start his retreat, Aoyama Tsuruko unleashed her ki.

"OUGI SHIN RAIKOKEN!"

Thousands upon thousands on electric volts violently ripped through Keitaro's body. The force was so immense that he was lifted off the ground; making him fly towards the night sky at a Mach 5 velocity.

"ANE-UE!"

"TSURUKO!"

The woman in question turned her attention to the rest of the Hinata residents. Despite their pained bodies, they dragged themselves towards her. All of them sharing, more or less, the same opinion on her use of such "unwarranted" force.

Haruka, who by now was getting more and more agitated due to the lack of nicotine was the first to screech her disapproval. "What the hell did you do? Was that really necessary? My nephew might be hurt or worse!"

"Ane-ue, please explain yourself, was a lightning strike really needed?"

"Keitaro-kun must be hurt!"

"Dammit, woman, Original is gonna get so pissed!"

Tsuruko held her hand to tell them that she needed their silence in order for her to explain. They understood and spoke no further, but their faces still assaulted her. "First, Motoko, have you seen the dark aura that was around him?"

"Y-yes."

"Then," the elder Aoyama continued, "This is what you must understand: he is definitely unhurt. In pain yes, but any long lasting injury is out of the question."

"Eh?" Shinichi's doubted her assurance. "That strike of yours must have been a thousand volts or so, that could have burned him to death."

"No."

They were surprised to hear that Motoko, who a while ago was so worried, change her stance.

"A while ago, when my sister's technique hit him, the dark aura seemed to have strengthened and acted as a shield. Of course, the lightning breached its defenses, but the damage done was rendered inconsequential."

"We never saw anything! How are so sure that onii-chan is not hurt?" Kanako nearly screamed at the calmness of Motoko's statement.

Tsuruko answered for her sister, "Because only a select few, like us, can see such things. But listen, this is what is most important. Last week, during my meditations, I received numerous visions of a man in a gray suit. At first I paid no heed, but then the news told of the recent murders here in Hinata City."

"Yes," Haruka nodded, "I've heard of that one. A gaijin, right?"

"Indeed, that is why I came here. I looked for him around the city, when I found him, he was nearly killed by a possessed man." Tsuruko noticed the other's apprehension and before they could ask anything, she held her hand. "Let me finish first. Now, he certainly survived thanks to me; and I managed to exorcise the offending spirit. I was about to interrogate him further, but he caught me unaware. He cast a spell that made my clothes turn against me, and wiped my memory."

Motoko became bewildered at the revelation. "How could that happen? I could never remember a time when someone got the upper hand on you ane-ue."

Tsuruko sighed, "Perhaps luck was on his side, and I had a miscalculation. He never seemed to be the fighting sort, that's why I may have placed my guard down. But enough of that. When I met that man, he was not wearing a gray suit anymore, I feel that my suspicions have some basis."

"Was he wearing a combination of brown, green, and gray?" Kanako asked.

"Yes, how did you know?"

Haruka told her the story of how they became worried about Keitaro's nightly ventures. She also mentioned the way that he was acting suspiciously earlier that morning and how he ran away from them with the man that Tsuruko mentioned.

Hearing this, the elder Aoyama quickly declared that another search must be done. Almost all of them volunteered to go again but Tsuruko had another thing on mind. "I know you are worried for your kanrinin, but in this case I think it is best that I only bring one or two." Haruka looked at her and she quickly understood. "First is Haruka, since she is his aunt and nearest family member."

"Then I should be there!" Kanako bellowed out.

"I think it would be best if you stay here Kanako."

"Yes," Tsuruko agreed with Haruka. "With Motoko injured we can never be too sure that she can defend the rest."

"Keitaro got you unaware a while ago. But if you stay sharp, then the rest of you will be safe." Haruka added.

"Excuse me?"

The two women and the goth girl turned their attention to the redhead.

"Don't tell me you're willing to let her go with you." Kanako venomously hissed.

Naru swallowed hard, for her confidence was being shaken by Kanako's fiery rubies. "I-if you won't mind, Haruka-san, Tsuruko-san. I want to go with you. I-I'll try to talk to Keitaro."

Both of the older women just stared to each other and came up with a silent agreement. "Alright then." they both said.

"WHAT?" Kanako's eyes became more infernal than before. "And why do you think that he'll listen to you?" she cried out. "You broke his heart!"

"He still loves her."

Everyone's eyes turned to Makoto.

"Makoto-kun..." Naru was at a loss for words at her boyfriend's pronouncement.

"Na-chan, I know, or rather, I feel. Okay? I just feel it. He'll listen to you."

Kanako grabbed the kind clone by the collar. "You bastard! You fake!" she then redirected her wrathful gaze at Naru. "And you! My brother did everything for you! Clinging to that stupid promise of his! All because of you!" She turned once more to Makoto, "The two of you broke his heart, and you still want to crush him some more? You're not kind! You're cruel!"

"That would be enough Kanako." Haruka's calm, yet commanding, voice prompted the adopted sister to release the clone. "Stay here. We'll bring him back. Then you can talk and settle all this melodrama, once and for all."

Tsuruko decided to kill the topic before it escalated once more. "We better make haste."

Haruka nodded her head in affirmation. "Naru, let's go."

Naru gave Makoto a knowing look to which the clone smiled and said, "I know you can bring him back."

Taking a deep breath, the redhead turned to the two older women. "Let's Keitaro back."

*****

Jimmy was walking back and forth in a pace that spelled anxiety all over. As much as he wanted to smoke, he controlled himself not to give into the temptation. His musing and worry was shattered a loud crash a few feet away from him.

"The fucking hell?" the magician quickly ran towards the crash site. Maybe Luck, Fate, or whatever power that be that must be diddling the fiddle must have had a sick sense of humor. For when the dust settled, he saw Urashima Keitaro swimming in the rubble.

"Taro? You look like you've been burned!" he extended his hand to help the young man.

"Keitaro took Jimm'y hand and stood up. "Electrified actually."

"You sure you're okay kid?"

"A little, ah---" the kanrinin hugged himslef as some of the burned skin began to regenerate. "I guess I should have listened to you."

"Too late for that now. Come on, lets sit down." Jimmy allowed Keitaro to lean on him for support as they dragged themselves to the nearest bench.

"You're lucky that you fell right into this park."

"I think she'll be looking for me."

"No doubt about it. I'm guessing you didn't get to do whatever it is you wanted to do."

"No, a lot of them got in the way. And when I was nearly at it, Tsuruko stopped me." Keitaro pounded both of his hands in his legs so hard that it made Jimmy wince. "It's so goddamn unfair!"

"The world is never fucking fair kid. Never was, never will be."

"Hey Jimmy..."

"Yeah?"

"Is it true? I mean what my professor or that Guardian said? That you'll have to kill me?"

Jimmy scratched his cheeks before he answered, "Yeah. Because like it or not, you're a real source of trouble."

Keitaro looked at the magician with blank eyes. Somehow, the blunt honesty failed to put chinks in his armor. "But I could kill you right now, Jimmy. After that, whatever trouble happens is not my problem anymore."

"Yeah, I know. Truth to be told, I wondered why you seemed so accepting of that. But what the hell," the magician lighted a Lucky and inhaled the poison. "So it's not your problem anymore, right? That is, if you kept on living."

"What's the worse that could happen? I mean the world isn't breaking into several pieces."

Without any warning, the magician shoved his cigarette into Keitaro's temple. Once again, the kanrinin felt the familiar pain of a power drill boring through his skull. Only this time, along with the pain, he saw numerous horrifying images burn through his mind.

*****

Hinata City was in flames, several police officers along with soldiers were firing their weapon at what seemed to be demons. Their efforts were futile, the bullets failed to harm the creatures and they were quickly butchered. Tanks and machine-gun mounted trucks were of no use either, shell after shell and mortar after mortar were useless against the demons. When they ran out ammunition, the monsters simply tore the metal like paper.

All hope did not seem to be lost though, for there were a few number of people that were able to fight back. There was a group of four men who managed to keep the demons at bay. But they were not using any modern weaponry; the man that seemed to be the leader was just punching and kicking his way through, tearing off the demons' limbs. Two of them used swords; the first seemed to have some sort of a yellowish dimensional sword, while the other one was using a flaming blade. The last one was the most peculiar, he looking like a white fox and his rose-whip sliced the demons with ease.

On the other side of the battle, a ten-year old boy pounded the hordes with devastating magic spells. With him were numerous teenage-girls. One girl reminded Keitaro of Motoko, since she was using the Shinmeiryuu techniques, only that she had white wings on her back. A redhead who seemed to resemble Naru sliced off the monsters with an equally large and monstrous blade. Then there was a princess who danced with her fans, healing their wounds so that they could fight some more. He also saw a gynoid and a vampire fighting by the boy's side.

Keitaro swore that he saw Jimmy, though the magician was more busy running than fighting. He only casted his spells when he was cornered, and then he would resume running again. He also saw Setsuna, but she was not alone this time. She was accompanied by other girls wearing sailor uniforms that had one color as its major accent. All of them had different powers which seemed to match the color of their clothes, and in a way, their personalities.

****

Then the pain ended and the visions disappeared.

Blinking twice, he saw Jimmy throw the cigarette on the ground. "So," the magician chuckled as he took out another Lucky, "Still not your problem?"

"What the hell was that?" Keitaro asked. Something told him to doubt the images he just saw.

"A possible future if you don't die."

"Possible future?"

"Wait...let me correct myself, it's rather a 'very' possible future."

"Jimmy if you're---"

"Listen up Taro, when the Guardian said the magic of this world was being fucked up because of you being alive, she wasn't lying. It all began when you were split up into six, I don't know why so don't ask me. But anyway, during that time, nothing that bad happened. Just some minor incidents, so to speak. Like some wizard failing to cast his spell, or a portal that temporarily closed. But when you were brought back, something really messed up. The minor incidents became a little bit more frequent, and, well, Sunday last week actually, a vortex to the Demon World opened up."

"So..." Keitaro was at a loss for words for a while. "So what I saw..."

"Is not the future, nobody fucking knows. But it is possible. For now, the vortex is still a small one. The only ones that got out, or are getting out are just minor spirits. Not that really strong. But lately, some stronger spirits got past the the guy guarding that hole. These spirits got the ability to possess people and turn them into minor demons. And if they're possessed long enough, they might become demons altogether. What's worse, is if the real 'solid' demons get out, then that would be one hell of a problem."

A small ray of understanding dawned on Keitaro's head. "You said that your magic powers are not working well, right?"

Jimmy frowned slightly, but still chose to answer. "It's pretty stable now. But I don't know for how long. SNAFU could always happen you know.

Keitaro remembered Suu's unexplained transformation. He looked up to the night sky to confirm that there was no red moon, and indeed there was none. The moon's color was as normal as it could be, and that only meant one thing: Jimmy was telling the truth.

Shocked and awed, Kietaro sat down on the bench; allowing the revelation sink into his head. He balled his fists and gripped them so hard that his hands began to bleed. His eyes began to water, and he began to shake; a telltale sign of someone about to burst in a fit of crying.

"Let it out Taro. Sometimes, the best thing to do is just to let it out."

Jimmy's advice had little effect, the kanrinin still held his heart in check. There were tears in his eyes, but there was no sobs, or moans, or wails; only the hard gritting of teeth.

For his part, the magician stayed silent. He took out his pack and offered a cigarette stick to Keitaro, which the young man accepted. The two of them remained silent. They both knew that no words were needed for their despair; the older man despairs for he must kill, while the younger one because he must die.

Both men were so deep in drowning in their personal miseries that they failed to notice a strange fog slither on to their feet. Even the sound of a stranger's footsteps, that were advancing towards them, failed to catch their attention.

Said stranger was a woman, perhaps in her middle to late twenties. She was wearing an ordinary white turtleneck, topped off with a brown coat, nonetheless, she had an ample chest that demanded attention. Her slacks were plain black but it hugged her buttocks firmly, while the leather boots she wore made her taller and more imposing. If one could only see her long, jet black hair dance in the night, they would have been enthralled. Her skin was rosy and glowed under the moonlight, her eyes had the most docile features, just like a doe. But there was one thing that prevented her from being described as beautiful: her face. It was not because she was ugly or anything, it was just that she wore a surgical mask. A standard practice for the sake of others in Japan, especially if one was sick.

She stopped in front of the two men; breaking their introspections. Both Jimmy and Keitaro found her odd, but did not say anything. However, the sight of the surgical mask seemed to have made a dreadful impression on the kanrinin's memory.

Jimmy, however, was a different story. Not only did he find the woman odd, but she also seemed to be quite the distraction. He chose the park so he could discuss with Keitaro alone, and because she was there, his talk might be postponed for a while.

Without any preamble, the woman asked the magician. "Am I pretty?"

This took Jimmy by surprise, who answered, "Let me see, the body is to die for, but you might want to flaunt your face a little bit more."

Keitaro's eyes widened. Slowly by slowly, the memory of a certain urban legend resurfaced inside his head. Said legend was about a woman who asks about her beauty in a foggy night. He looked around and then realized, that fog was indeed present.

"Am I pretty?" the woman asked once again.

"Ah, what the hell?" Jimmy groaned in disgust at the woman; perceiving her as someone who severely lacked attention. "Fine, fine, you're beautiful. Okay? Absolutely, fucking gorgeous. Now, would you mind, me and my friend here want to be left alone."

Jimmy's answer had two very different effects for the people around him. Keitaro paled a ghastly white, while the woman's eyes glimmered like diamonds. She was obviously ecstatic at the magician's answer, while his companion seemed to have met Death head-on.

"Flaunt my beautiful face, yes?" Without waiting for a reply, the woman violently tore off the surgical mask on her face, revealing a very vicious slit on both of her cheeks. What made it terrifying was that it was still fresh and red, and reached to her ears, it was not even stitched up. Then she smiled, which made slits show her pearly white teeth bathing in crimson blood. With that smile, she asked once more. "Am I pretty? Even with this?" she pointed to her cheeks.

Jimmy stared for a moment, then mouthed off the most stupid thing one could say in such situations. "A Chelsea grin? Never knew it also happens here, damn, you better think of getting some good plastic surgery, lady. And a good counseling with a shrink too, I mean, I think you've got a lot of issues if you do this every night."

She smiled and still asked Jimmy the same question. "Am I pretty?"

"Ah, fuck me sideways already." the magician snorted. "You want the truth? No! You're not pretty, you're 'pretty' deranged, actually. Go home, lady, and get yourself a therapist."

For a moment, silence reigned supreme.

Jimmy broke the ice by asking, "Well?"

Instead of talking, the woman answered back by pulling out a very wicked pair of scissors.

"Oh shit." was the only thing the magician could say before the woman tried to stab him. Jimmy was lucky though, for his reflexes did not fail him. He managed to use his arm as a shield against the scissor.

"JIMMY!" Keitaro snapped out and gave the woman a very hard and unforgiving roundhouse kick which sent her a few paces away. Quick on his head and legs, the kanrinin grabbed the magician and sped off.

"Fucking hell! Taro, slow the fuck down, I'm bleeding here!"

"You'll bleed a lot more if she gets us! Come one, Jimmy!"

"Dammit, what the hell is wrong with women this days? If they're not carrying swords they've got scissors! And they stab people!"

"You did tell her she was ugly." Keitaro deadpanned.

"She was asking for it!"

Keitaro stopped running and so did Jimmy. They looked back and saw that she was nowhere in sight. Feeling relatively safer, the magician asked, "What the hell was that woman? I swear she's no freaking human being."

"Strange, you're a magician, right?"

"But I'm no expert in your country's mythology. Except for the things I read from Patrick L. Hearn, I don't know anything else."

"She's called a kuchisake-onna; the spirit of a woman murdered by a jealous husband."

"Let me guess, the husband did that to her face and now she's so fucking angry at the world?"

"Yes." Keitaro looked around his surrounding his once more to check if she was there. "I remembered her because an urban legend about her took Japan by storm during some time. Hell, just imagine the panic back then. What's strange is, why now? The panic is long over."

"Well, Taro, I did tell you about that vortex right? Now---" the magician's explanation was cut of by the sound of scissors snipping into the air.

"Oh shit." Both Jimmy and Keitaro turned to where the sound came from and saw the kuchisake-onna holding her scissors that maliciously glittered under the moonlight. The look in her eyes spelled painful murder.

Jimmy, whose fear made him a flippant bastard, mouthed off, "Why so serious?"

Keitaro cracked his knuckles and gritted his teeth.

"Jimmy, that's so lame."

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, so you want to know more about that Kuchisake-onna? Don't go to wikipedia, go to Google Images first, then wikipedia. I don't know about you, but somehow, I'm quite frightened by the idea of this monster.

Anyway, if Tsuruko was really "gar" out here, well, I've always seen her like that. Also, some fanfics I read portrayed her that way. Argh! This one was very long, I actually wanted to write on but I might experience a burn out if I did. Anyway, I guess you might have to wait for the next chapter a little bit longer. Studies got to take priority. I'll finish this fanfic of mine, that's for sure.

Cheers! See you next chapter!


	18. The Greatest Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

I'm sorry for the long time between the updates. I was busy preparing for the civil service exam that I left this chapter half-finished. And then they cancel it and move the date from May to June! Argh, anyway Chapter 18 online. Two more to go, and this run will come to an end.

Zeroeye: That's okay, everyone gets busy sometime.

Sentiment Remains: And here is another update.

Abel Nightcross: Well, another update, the plot thickens some more; even if it's near the end.

windybreeze: It'll be a spoiler if I tell you.

Squire of Gothos: Ha ha! Guess I would too. But story-wise, I was thinking of a floating timeline. I mean the whole gang would be in their twenties and thirties if I use real world aging.

Xoroth: This time, I was more careful. Problem is, my word processor is not that good.

Ara222: I hope this chapter was worth the wait then.

YoungKonoha: Hmmm...

Demon hidden in the light: Why thank you!

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 18: The Greatest Sacrifice**

Keitaro glared at the monster in front of him.

"So, what's our game plan?" Jimmy asked while cautiously standing behind the kanrinin.

"You mean my game plan?"

"Fine, suit yourself."

"Simple, really," Keitaro rammed a hard, right cross to the kuchisake-onna. "Just stand back and let me do the work!"

"Hey Taro, listen up!" Sadly, the magician's voice was lost in Keitaro's ears. One would not be surprised. With his failure to exact his revenge, along with his embarrassing defeat to Tsuruko; the young man decided that the freak he was facing would make a very nice cushion for his frustration.

She was easy enough to avoid. Her weapon of choice, the obscenely large pair of scissors, greatly encumbered her movement. A wild swing here and a whild swing there; there was no method in her attacks, just pure and utter madness. It was a different story for the kanrinin. Indeed, he was totally vexed because of the recent events, but he still kept his head in its place. His counterattacks were nigh flawless and equally brutal compared to that of the kuchisake-onna.

When she made the mistake of going for a thrust attack, Keitaro quickly ducked and launched a rising uppercut. However, unlike most uppercuts that go for the chin, he aimed for the stomach. Knowing that she could recover if he did not follow-up, Keitaro used every once of his strength to turn his stomach punch into a very painful ground slam. But that was not that end of it all. The sheer force of the impact made her body bounce on the ground, and this was something that Keitaro did not miss. While his opponent was still in mid-air, he quickly unleashed a left hook, seconded by a right roundhouse kick. The kick made her float a little bit higher in the air, and the kanrinin became less forgiving by greeting her with a traditional one-two punch combination. This brutal chain of attacks was ended by a vicious spinning roundhouse kick that sent the kuchisake-onna flying towards one of the trees.

Jimmy almost dropped his jaw in awe. "Nice kung fu Taro, all you need is a sinister laugh and you'll remind me of a white-haired guy who does that kind of brutal attacks."

"Thanks Jimmy, and by the way, it's Jeet Kune Do."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Not wasting any time, the magician went straight to what he wanted to say earlier. "Look, anytime now she'll be back on her feet. No matter what you do, you won't be able to take her down."

"Oh, come on!"

"The only way to do that is to snap her neck."

Jimmy's revelation came as a shock to Keitaro. "That's one line I'm not going to cross, Jimmy."

"Earlier, you wanted to kill---"

"That's different!"

"Alright, I hear you loud and clear."

Any further talk between the two of them was cut by the sound of a snipping scissor. It was hard to see with some dust floating in the air, but the two of them knew that the silhouette the stood amidst the brown cloud was no other that the kuchisake-onna.

"Looks like she's up and ready to be pummeled again."

"I know Jimmy." Keitaro postured himself in a defensive stance. "So how do we stop her?"

Jimmy's intended reply never came as the freakish woman lunged towards the magician; with her scissors ready to snip off his head. That never came to happen because of Keitaro's reaction time. He used his own body as a human shield and found himself impaled at her scissors.

"JESUS CHRIST!"

Keitaro, however, was still alive—and very much pissed off. Grabbing the monster's arms, he took a step forward to get himself nearer; this resulted in him getting impaled much deeper. But despite the pain, he soldiered on and brutalized the woman's face with a flurry of punches. The kuchisake-onna responded in her own unforgiving manner, she twisted the scissors like crazy, to make the kanrinin bleed. And he did bleed, expected since the scissors acted as some sort meat grinder in the young man's stomach. Whether it was from pain or from something else entirely, Keitaro did not falter in his constant barrage. Instead, it only made his punchers harder and more powerful, enough to break skin and cause some blood to fly out of the freak's face.

The magician was simply dumbstruck. At that moment, he did not know who he had to fear more. His sanity made a rebound when he decided that the festival of gore he was watching was too much to handle. Spying a metal trash bin on one corner, he quickly made a dash towards it and grabbed the cover. Putting all of his weight onto his legs, he made an insane dash towards the possessed woman and clocked her skull with all his might.

Jimmy's haphazard attack had two effects. First, the kuchisake-onna was soundly stunned by the impact, stopping her from twisting her scissors any further in the kanrinin's belly. The second effect, however, was on the magician. Conveniently forgetting that he was injured, his arm shook with tremendous pain; along with some blood seeping out of the wound he got earlier.

Keitaro took the opportunity to make another attack. He quickly hammered his elbow on his opponent's collarbone and nailed her groin with his knee—at the same time. Still not satisfied, he sent her a goodbye-card composed of three hard kicks; all to the midsection with the last one thrashing her towards the trees.

Seeing the magician walk towards him with a limp on his arm, the kanrinin barked, "What part of 'stand back' didn't you understand?"

"That," Jimmy pointed to the scissor that was still buried in Keitaro's stomach. "Almost never got used to the blood and gore."

With a sigh, the kanrinin simply pulled out the monster's weapon; it made a sickening sound as flesh and metal kissed each other on its exit. Keitaro winced a little and bit his lip. The pain was passing on quickly, and his regenerative ability began its work. Skin and muscle tissue snaked through the gaping hole in his stomach and moments later, all that was left was blood and a hole in his shirt. With the deed done, he dropped the obscene instrument on the ground bringing about a metallic clatter that echoed in the night.

"I'll never get used to that freakish thing of yours, Taro."

"Well, I'm getting used to it."

"You better not. Oh, about what I was gonna say earlier---"

"Snapping her neck is the only way?"

"Not really," Jimmy looked towards the knocked out monster's direction and continued, "You can put a hole in her head, decapitate her, stake her, whatever, provided that the lethality is instant, it will work. She's not immortal. Just fucking and plainly fucking strong. The spirit possessing her is pushing the body towards its limits."

"And the limit is, of course, death."

"It's good you figured out the math."

"So how do we stop her? That is, without killing her?" Keitaro asked with some sort of irritation.

Jimmy scratched the back of his neck as he replied, "We've got to exorcise the spirit, problem is..."

"Let me guess," the kanrinin quickly had a theory for the magician's loss of words. "You're not so good at that one."

"Yeah," Jimmy affirmed his weakness without hesitation. "But I can do it, although it will really take much concentration from me."

A scratching sound was heard by the two men. They figured out that it was the possessed woman, standing up again to be punished. Though her clothes were dirtied by blood, dust, and some twigs, she still wore the disturbing smile that showed her pearly whites. She was now unarmed, but that did not lessen the aura of danger that was warped around her.

"Not so tough without your scissors, eh?" Jimmy tapped the trash can lid that he was holding. "You want more of this?"

She replied by stretching her smile wider, then placed her hands at her back.

"What's up with that?"

Keitaro simply shrugged at the magician's question and assumed a proprietary stance.

When the kuchisake-onna revealed her hands once more, it now held eight smaller scissors, four on each hand.

Jimmy's heart sank at that sight, dropping the lid on the ground he commented, "I so don't want to know where she pulled that out from."

"So? Your plans about exorcising her?"

"Keep her busy as long as you can. When I finish my preparations I'll call for you."

"How?"

"Remember earlier?"

"Of course, you were quite the trouble inside my head."

"I'm not sorry for that one." With that said, Jimmy tapped Keitaro's back and made a dash towards the direction of the park's entrance.

Keitaro quickly blocked the monster's path as it tried to run towards Jimmy. "Oh no, you don't. You'll have to be content with me."

The possessed woman simply smiled and flicked all eight scissors against him. Almost all of them were dodged or parried by the kanrinin, save for two that got buried in his shoulders. "That hurt you know."

Again, her only reply was a disturbing smile as she brought out a new batch of smaller scissors.

"Oh great," Keitaro muttered under his breath. "Infinite ammo, how creative."

*****

Tsuruko exhaled deeply.

For almost thirty minutes or so she had been trying to discern the different energy signatures that floated in the ether. She had been unsuccessful, there was just too many erratic spikes. In addition to that, was the idea that Keitaro would not be that stupid to use the bracelet again.

"Any luck?" Naru asked. The redhead was getting more and more impatient, and that was not helping the swordswoman concentrate.

"Leave her be, Naru. If she finds Kei she'll tell us, that's for sure." Haruka's tone, though calm and collected, was also beginning to accumulate some impatience.

"A little silence, please," Tsuruko requested, "There is a few number of things that are blocking my concentration."

Both women nodded in understanding and allowed the swordswoman to continue her meditation.

Closing her eyes, Tsuruko allowed all of her present worries to dissipate. She was frustrated, there was no doubt about it, but she did not let that hinder her. Though she had already regained her memories, she still reeled from the aftereffects of the gaijin's magic. Along with that was the unexplainable distortion of the city's aura. Almost everywhere, a scent of evil wafted. It was not that strong, but it was there, as if biding its time.

Visualizing the plethora of auras as a forest, she walked down a steep and rocky path. Hostility was all over the place; the soil, the trees, the wind, all of them viciously opposed her presence. Which was strange and alien to her, since a few weeks ago, this kind of feeling was totally nonexistent. She was about to cut her connection again, when a more malicious and malevolent presence revealed itself somewhere. In her mind's eye, she saw it as a corrupted cherry tree. The blossoms were black and rotting, the roots gnarled and and claw-like. Several smells wafted around the trunk; that of vanity, hatred, and the desire to inflict pain that it had suffered for so long. This was not the magician's scent, it did not belong to his bracelet nor to his person. As much as she loathed to admit it, the tree in front of her reeked more evil than that dastardly man who violated her mind. But there was no time to angry at an enemy that was not there. Tsuruko concentrated once more, to zero in the location of the dark energy, and when she found it, she also found another surprise.

Another aura was present. This one was certainly human and belonged to someone she knew.

"Urashima Keitaro-han." Tsuruko muttered out loud with shocked eyes to the surprise of the two women behind her.

Naru was the first to fire the long awaited question. "You found him?"

"Where is he?" Haruka seconded.

Glancing towards the direction of where she felt the energy, "Over there, not that far from here." She pointed her finger to the location.

"Hinata Park then," Haruka spat her cigarette on the ground and ran with the other two following her.

*****

A sickening crunch greeted Keitaro's stomach.

"_With her using smaller weapon, she got a lot faster now,"_ Keitaro muttered to himself as he responded with an uppercut to his opponent's earlier attack. He had been quite complacent, since there were four scissors buried in his stomach. Painful as it was, he still soldiered on to dish out an axe kick to the kuchisake-onna; temporarily knocking her out.

"_Dammit Jimmy, hurry up. I don't enjoy being stabbed."_ He pulled out the scissors and dropped them on the ground. As if on cue, the clattering sounds it made seemed to have waken the possessed woman. She stood up and revealed another set of her killing instruments. It was quite easy to discern her pattern, and she would been easy to avoid if she had not been so fast on her feet. Standing on the balls of his feet, Keitaro inhaled deep as she began her attack.

"_First, she throws them, then she lunges at you with remaining four. I better come up with good idea to counter this one."_

Evading the first batch of projectiles that she threw, the kanrinin quickly positioned himself at her back with uncanny speed. He quickly grabbed her by the arms so she could not use her weapons. Knowing that her mobility is her greatest asset, Keitaro planted his foot on her hamstring in order to cripple her. The ear-splitting scream that followed the brutal attack confirmed that she still felt pain, but he also noted that is somehow fueled her anger a lot more. Not wanting to leave it to plain luck, the kanrinin took the extra mile by hammering her right elbow with a punch; effectively dislocating her. He finished the chain of misery with a spinning back kick, making her roll on the ground a good number of feet away from him.

But despite that, he only heard a gurgling sound which seemed like manic laughter. The kuchisake-onna stood up, and with an inhuman pain threshold, manipulated her joint back to its proper place. She then stretched her legs until a popping sound came out and smiled her usual smile.

Keitaro gritted his teeth. He was getting more and more annoyed at every second that passed.

*****

Jimmy spat on the ground.

It was out of contempt, for himself actually. Once again, his ineptitude in some areas shined, and that was not a good sign. His brand of exorcism necessitated salt. And right now, he had none. Sulfur was no good either. Even in small amounts, it was a thoroughly offensive substance, especially activated by magic. He had to think of something else, he had to improvise; or else, everything would be dragged down to hell.

Looking at his bloodied arm, he shuddered at the idea that came to his head. All the excitement a few minutes ago pumped a lot of adrenaline in his system. He conveniently forgot that he was wounded, and now it was beginning to hurt. And with the thought that swirled inside his mind, he knew that pain will be his best friend for this moment.

Breathing deep into his lungs, he uttered one word to cast the spell. "Form."

Blood began to flow out from his wound. It acted like as if it had a life of its own, a mind of its own. As soon as the plasma hit the ground, it began to slither into a shape. A circle. Within that circle, more shapes emerged; triangles, squares, and smaller circles. The gaps and empty spaces inside the shapes were then filled with indescribable arcane letters and symbols, and when all was done, Jimmy's bleeding arm stopped from spewing out his blood.

"_Here we go. I just hope this Scooby Doo tactic works. All I gotta do now is call Taro."_

*****

Tsuruko halted in her tracks.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. She smelled a magic spell, and a strong one to boot.

"Anything wrong Tsuruko-san?" Naru asked the swordswoman, perplexed at the sudden interruption of their run.

She simply answered, "None," and went to resume her pace. But inside her head, she knew that something would definitely come up.

*****

"_Taro! I got it all good, now just lure the bitch. I'm near the park's entrance, you won't miss it!"_

"_Got it Jimmy, just wait there."_

Jimmy took a deep breath and reached for his cigarettes. But he was quickly disappointed when he found out the they were already empty. He crushed the flip-top box and half-heartedly threw it into the wastebasket like a three-point shot.

He missed.

Sighing again, he began to walk towards it to dispose his junk properly. But just as he was about to do that, all hell broke loose.

"Interesting," Aoyama Tsuruko remarked as she saw the bloody magic circle that was painted on the gray concrete. "I felt that I would find you with Urashima-han. Though you made it easier by using magic."

"Just great," Jimmy muttered as he spun around and saw, not one, but three women in front of him. He immediately recognized Tsuruko as the swordswoman who saved his life a few days before. The other two, Haruka and Naru, seemed familiar, he remembered seeing them earlier this morning.

"Where is Keitaro?" Naru cracked her knuckles and pounded her fists together in a menacing manner.

"Okay, before you beat the shit out of me. Can I make a request?"

All three women were puzzled at his attempt for hollow bravado.

"Would you mind if I ask for a cigarette? I'd really appreciate Lucky Strike, but any would do."

"NOT A CHANCE YOU BASTARD!" Naru's fist quickly connected to Jimmy's jaw, making the magician fall down on the ground. "Where is Keitaro?" The redhead gave him another smack, "Where is he?", and another, "What did you to him?" With her third punch unleashed, Naru paused to catch her breath; she was panting uncontrollably.

"Let me see, um," Jimmy rolled his all over the insides in his mouth, tasting blood in the process. "One question at a time?"

"Why you little---"

Naru raised her hand once more but was quickly held by Haruka. "That's enough Naru. That kind of questioning will do us no good."

A pained cough escaped from the magician. "He's coming."

"What?" the three women chorused.

"Taro. He's coming."

Tsuruko nodded, as if to confirm Jimmy's statements. "Yes, indeed I do sense Urashima-han nearby, and he seems to be going into out direction but..."

"But what Tsuruko-san?" Haruka was offed by the dead air that followed the swordswoman's words.

"He's not alone."

Right on cue, Keitaro landed in front of the three women. He quickly noticed them and Jimmy who was lying on the ground, bloodier than usual.

"Keitaro!" Naru whipped out her tongue before the others could react. "What the hell are you doing with this man? Motoko said something about you being possessed!"

"And," Tsuruko added her opinion, "The magic around you greatly mirrors this gaijin!" The Aoyama woman pointed at the magician with her sword. "An explanation must be in order!"

"We're the least of your problems, ladies. You might want to take a look at that bitch with crazy scissors." Jimmy forced his pained body to stand up as he nodded towards the direction of the kuchisake-onna.

All of them turned towards the monster who seemed to have lost all interest in pursuing Keitaro. Her eyes burned with a silent fury as she stared at the three normal women in front of her; eyes mostly centered on their cheeks and lips.

"What the hell is that?" Naru was visibly disturbed at the sight of the possessed woman.

In an instant, the kuchisake-onna dropped the small scissors she was wielding, and once again pulled out a big one; one that rivaled a pair of gardening shears. She spotted Naru as the nearest target, and before anyone could react, lunged towards her.

"Pretty," the possessed woman poisonously hissed. "I'm the only one who is pretty!"

Keitaro instinctively shielded Naru from the incoming stab, and that act horrified the girl to no end. The kanrinin knew that the monster would aim at her mouth; to inflict the same twisted smile that it had. But since he was a few inches taller than the redhead, the shears tore through the back of his; a sickening sight of a shiny metal object lodged between his throat.

Jimmy knew that it was the only chance he had to exorcise the demon that possessed the unlucky woman. Convincing the swordswoman to unleash her powers would be futile, it would take too much time explaining the details; and is what he did not have. The magician sprang to his feet and knocked Keitaro along with the monster on the ground, dead on the spot on where the magic circle was inscribed.

Forming a triangle with his thumb and index fingers, he muttered his usual one-liner magic spell, "Expel!"

A red barrier of energy quickly formed around the magic circle. Inside, Keitaro was untouched; he did twitch and turn though, but that was because he had something between his throat. The possessed woman was way much worse. Her body convulsed and trashed, her mouth foamed, and she was urinating uncontrollably; she was in great pain due to Jimmy's magic. And when the red light ceased to burn, she fell down on the ground; unconscious and back to normal. Along with Keitaro who was still bleeding, still gasping, still stabbed by a pair of garden shears.

In that moment, the magician who was down on his knees was quickly forgotten. Naru, Haruka, and Tsuruko's attention were all geared towards Keitaro; frantic and distraught that his legendary immortality seemed to be failing him at the time he needed it the most. Without even a second glance at Jimmy or the Yamada Hanako who was also on the ground, they scooped the kanrinin and sped off to find a hospital.

But inside the swordswoman's head, something told her that the situation they were in was totally wrong. She knew and felt that she had to remember something, but that was pushed back by the emergency that they were facing.

*****

"Jimmy, are you sure they'll be okay?"

"Who's they? All of them? Or just those three?" the magician pointed to the sleeping figures of Naru, Haruka, and Tsuruko. All of them in a fit even while unconscious, their eyeball moving left and right, up and down, a telltale sign of rapid eye movement—a sign of intense dreaming.

"All of them of course."

"Well Taro, I did manage to exorcise the demon out that woman. She'll be in pain. In the hospital fow a few weeks. Maybe months. Can't say for sure. But she'll be alright."

"And my friend?"

"More than okay. They'll be pissed off. Very pissed off. Especially that samurai girl."

Keitaro had pained smile on his face. "Magic, I suppose."

"Right you are, Taro. When that redhead was beating me to a bloody pulp, I knew I had to improvise. So while they weren't looking, I scribbled a rune with my blood for that spell."

"How long will it last?"

"Long enough for us to get the fuck out of here. I can always disable it, but with the Lady of War here, she might just break the spell herself. And that means it wouldn't last that long. Come on, don't worry about them."

"Yeah, but..." the young man had some hesitation in his tone. "But where to? And wouldn't two bloodied guys attract attention?"

"I'll take care of that. Now, come on. Unless you want to give them an explanation, which I know they will have a hard time accepting, we better get the hell out of here."

*****

The trip to the five-star hotel was uneventful. Thanks to Jimmy's magic of course. While they were walking, other people, even the cops on patrol did not mind them; not even the cab driver who gave them a ride, even though their blood stained the seat covers. The receptionist at the hotel did not notice either. Keitaro even felt sorry for her. Jimmy was such a bastard that he paid her with two-day old receipts, which she took as if it were fresh just-out-of-the-bank bills. And with them getting a really good room, he felt a lot more guilty. After that, Jimmy had a doctor patch him up—free of charge.

"Bastard." Keitaro muttered as the doctor made her exit.

"Goddamn proud of it."

"So," Keitaro sat down on the bed and looked pensive. "What now?"

"Remember about the portal I told you a while ago?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, that scissors crazy woman was a result of it. I mean, with the vortex open and all, demon are getting through. For now---"

"Just weak ones. But then it'll come at a time when even the stronger ones will pass through, right?"

"Yeah. And that possessed woman you fought? That was the work of the weaker demons themselves. They possess people and given enough time, that person's mind and body would have transformed into a real demon. Big headache, really."

An uncomfortable blanket of silence covered the two men. They knew what must happen in order to subdue the impending chaos. And it was Keitaro who voiced it out.

"I have to die...right? This thing, that portal, it's because of me? Right?"

Jimmy bit his lip before answering, "Right."

"So," the kanrinin stood up and locked gazes with the magician. "Will you kill me?"

Another episode of silence.

"Back in my country, when the death penalty was still in effect. We executed criminals at three in the afternoon."

"What the hell does that have to with me? Or with my situation?" Keitaro's voice increased a bit, his temper also, as the magician's reply did not answer his question.

Jimmy paid no heed, however, and went on with his rant. "Three o'clock because you see, that was the supposed time of death of the Nazarene. But before the criminal gets killed, he gets his Last Supper. All expenses paid, courtesy of the state. He gets whatever food he wants. Be it simple noodles, to high grade pasta. From simple boiled chicken, to a world-class roast. Hell, I even heard stories that they get one last time to do it with the wife or girlfriend. If they don't have any, the usual run-of-the-mill prostitute."

The younger man balled his fists, realizing what Jimmy was trying say. "I'm no criminal. If being me...if being Urashima Keitaro was a crime..." he was not able to finish his words. Tears fell down like a raging dam, accompanied with a low, almost silent, and disturbing chuckle. "Don't be stupid Jimmy, three o'clock is pretty bright for an execution."

"I'm not that stupid. Or that cruel. Look, today's Friday. In only a few hours, it'll already be Saturday. So I'm giving you that. The whole Saturday to enjoy, well...your last day of being alive. Saturday midnight, or Sunday if you're anally retentive, we meet back at the park. Don't worry, I'll make sure to cover that one out. I'm sure that they're thinking that we won't go there anymore, since we've already been there. Well, that makes that place a lot safer. Relatively."

Keitaro simply sat down and nodded his head in affirmation.

"By the way, that necklace of mine, you better give---" Jimmy was cut off when he say that Keitaro tore the necklace and threw it at him. "Thanks for that." With that said, the magician made his way towards the door.

"Jimmy."

"Anything else, Taro?" Jimmy stopped half-through the wooded portal.

"What makes you think that I'll really just sit down and take all this?"

The magician took a deep breath and looked the kanrinin. "Why did you save that redhead?"

A bitter but accepting laugh emitted from Keitaro. "Point taken."

Jimmy was about to get out, when he remembered the thing that he wanted to know the most about Urahima Keitaro. "Hey, Taro."

"What is it?" judging from his tone and posture, Keitaro was already gearing towards sleep.

"How did you become immortal anyway? I mean, fairy-godmother? Deal with the devil? Just wanted to ask."

"If I knew, I would have told you."

"Fair enough." The magician locked and closed the door, leaving Keitaro.

Alone with the lights still on, Keitaro closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. He remembered Jimmy's question and the answer that he never needed to say. Deep inside he still cared for Naru, his Aunt Haruka, Motoko, Kitsune, Kanako, Shinobu, his clones, he may even have still cared for Kaolla even though it was her fault that this whole mess happened. But could he really blame her? He will never know if she was really sorry for what she did. But something told him that when she split him into six, she must have done it without malice. Perhaps she only wanted to have more time with him; something he could not give so easily with his, at that point, rapidly developing relationship with Naru. But all of that was now moot and pointless. There was no need for any more debates.

In order for them to be safe, in order for them to live their lives to the fullest and without any danger brought by him, he has to die.

*****

Jimmy was back at his temporary apartment.

Inside that dimly lighted flat he stared hard at the lock of hair that belonged to one Urashima Keitaro.

"_I must know. I must. Maybe...just maybe I can..."_

He burned the strands with his Zippo, and as smoke began to cloud the room, he inhaled the sweet, sickly, and gagging vapors. His eyes turned white as his mind was transported inside a memory.

A very beautiful memory.

He saw two children playing in a sandbox. One was a boy, and he knew that was Keitaro. The other child, a girl, had a face he could not decipher. Even the color of her hair was somewhat shifty, expected since even the memory's owner could not remember her fully.

And he heard them say the words, he heard them make a promise.

"_Did you know?"_

"_If two people who love one another..."_

"_Can enter Tokyo University together..."_

"_They will live happily ever after!"_

"_So when we grow up..."_

"_We must meet again, in Tokyo U..."_

"_Promise me..."_

"_Promise me."_

"_I WILL DO IT! TO TOKYO UNIVERSITY!_

Snapped back to reality, Jimmy's eyes burned with a raging yet silent determination; exhilarated at his newfound insight.

"So that's why..."

___________________

**Author's Notes:**

Yamada Hanako - the Japanese equivalent of Jane Doe.

The 3PM execution along with the last meal for death row convicts is somewhat of a tradition in my country when the death penalty was still active. I'm not so sure about the last chance to have sex though.

Hope it's not much of a downer chapter. That's why I ended it with Jimmy...

Foreshadowing something. Whatever it is, you'll only know once I upload the 19th chapter. Thanks to all the people who added this story to their alerts and favorites list. Cheers!


	19. Death of A Kanrinin

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

This is the penultimate chapter. I just felt that I had to release it within this month since I'll be busy with real life the for the month after. A word of warning, this is one long chapter. My average is around 2,000 or so words, this has around 10,000 not including the notes. In any case, I want to thank all my dear reader and reviewers. I hope you can still wait. As usual, your review and comments would be deeply appreciated.

This list of Japanese words could have waited till the end. But I felt that it would be aesthetically better if I put them in the beginning.

Tochan and oto-sama – the first one is informal and the second very respectful; both mean father

hahaue – mother, in a respectful tone

aniki – another term for elder brother

Murasaki Tsukimaru: Somewhat of a spoiler that review, no worries, you get a shout-out from me.

Squire of Gothos: "No one in the world ever gets what they want and that is beautiful." From "Don't Let's Start" of the band There May Be Giants.

windybreeze: Six feet under numerous review materials.

Zeroeyes: This one is quite long, if you have to go to school, go to school first before reading it.

Wonderbee31: And here it nearly ends...

Jet Black Jr.: You're not alone in the murder Suu brigade. The reward he deserves? Hm...

Abel Nightcross: Thanks, though I'll be gone for a while—again.

Halo expert: Well, here is the update. I'm not so sure about Kei getting the fullest though.

Vegito567: When I said about the run coming to an end I was referring to this story. And yes, I will be making other fanfics after this one. It's still in Love Hina, though I may write for other genres. My turn, why do you want to know?

YoungKonoha: A confrontation in the future? Maybe...maybe not.

Oh, before I forget, this one has a little lime scene and a little bit of gore. I felt I needed to warn you.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 19: Death of A Kanrinin**

Urashima Keitaro swore that he turned off his alarm clock that night.

But when he fully opened his eyes and wiped off the dust covering them, he saw that he was not in his room in the Hinata Inn. It was not even his alarm clock that was buzzing—it was the hotel phone. He was tempted to ignore it and go back to his dreamless sleep when noticed that the wall clock already told him that it was thirty minutes before eleven. Muttering a few curses under his breath, he half-heartedly got up and answered the infernal device.

"Anything I should know about?" Keitaro belligerently asked.

"Yes...sir...I...have...been instructed...to wake you up...at this hour." a feminine voice on the other line replied.

"Who is this? Is this some kind of joke?"

"Front...desk. No...sir...this is no joke."

Grinding his teeth against each other, Keitaro knew that the dead-air mess of a receptionist must have been Jimmy's work. He never really saw the damn magician hurt people. But he knew that Jimmy would have had no second thoughts in making people look or sound stupid if it would have served a purpose.

"Well, anything else?" Keitaro was getting annoyed, right now he just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Yes...sir...a package was...delivered to you. It is...already in the...room. Delivered by...myself. Apologies...if I did...not wake you...up sir."

The former kanrinin of Hinata Inn had enough. "Thanks a lot, okay? I can manage from here."

"Of...course...sir."

Then the other line went dead, accompanied with an annoying buzz that Keitaro found more pleasing than the creepy monotone voice of the hypnotized girl he was talking to a while ago. Looking around, he saw a large brown manila envelope on the room's desk. He took it and emptied it of its contents, of which he only found three things: a debit card, a necklace with a strange looking symbol, and a blank bond paper.

Ignoring the plastic money and jewelry for a moment, he examined the white paper. There were no writings whatsoever, and what intrigued him more was that no matter where he touched dirt did not even register; it was white as snow. Before he could even think of tearing it apart, certain letters began to appear. Somehow, he was nonplussed at what was happening. If Jimmy ever needed to contact him, he could have done so in person or through phone. But if it had to be this way, then maybe the magician had his reasons. Giving out a defeated sigh, he read the message that forming on the paper.

*****

"By the time you're reading this, I'm guessing that you were already woken up by the front desk. Try not to mind their zombie voices, alright? I was fucked up real good last night and so was my magic. But to get straight to the point, I'll just tell you the most important details upfront. The debit card you got, is well, for you to use around. I don't really care what you do with it, it's not my money anyway. Besides, I did tell you that this is your day of enjoyment before you bite the dust. And I don't really know any good places to hang out in this city, so I'm letting you choose. The pin number for that card is Christmas; 1225 if you can't guess that good. That account has around five million yen. I always got stumped why you Japanese are all millionaires but aren't living the high life."

"Moving on, the necklace you have is nothing like the last one I gave you. Think of it as some sort of signal jammer. With the fiasco last night, I wouldn't think that those women had given up looking for you. Not to mention that I made them dream that they already had you. You don't have to be genius to know that they'll be much more pissed off and more likely to be a lot bloodthirsty in searching for the two of us. Don't be stupid, that necklace will not make you invisible, only unnoticeable. It will give them a hard time looking for you, whether it be magic or science. And people won't pay attention to you unless you talk to them first. Oh, and don't worry about your looks, I made sure the necklace also covered that one. But, well here comes the caveat emptor, they can still find you. The magic is not totally foolproof. If they really, really, really, want to find you, their combined willpower can override my spell. My only suggestion is that you stay the hell away from places where you used to go to in the past. As well as places that you think they will likely search."

"That's all I can do for you. Enjoy your last day."

"P.S."

"After you have your fun, get back to this hotel before we meet up at Hinata Park."

*****

"Enjoy," Keitaro sadly muttered under his breath while crumpling the magical paper. He looked at himself and saw his bloodstained clothes, along with some rips and holes from last night's battle. A small chuckle came out of him as he realized he was still wearing his shoes, he never had the time to take it off before going to sleep. Not wanting to feel dirty any longer, he stripped off his garments and went to the bathroom. He took his time in soaking himself in the first-class tub that the hotel had; accompanied by its equally expensive soap and shampoo. Memories of bathing in his personal barrel back at Hinata Inn resurfaced on his head.

Discomfort was something he had to live by when he was still living there. Bathing in the hot springs was some sort of a cultural norm back then; it was a social event to talk about lighthearted whatnots and what-ifs. But that was a weak reason if the springs in question was located in an inn that was converted to an all-female dormitory. Keitaro laughed as he relaxed his body in the tub. Sure, the bathtub was first-class indeed; one would only look at the design and they would know that it was made out of high-grade ceramics. However, it lacked the certain atmosphere that a hot spring could give. Still, it was a thousand times better than a cramped barrel.

After he was done cleaning himself, he slipped back into his murdered garments. Looking at the clock, he discovered that he spent almost an hour inside the bathroom. Not wanting to waste any more time that he could use for his enjoyment, he wore the necklace and pocketed the debit card. He took a deep breath, still quite perturbed that he might be noticed. But knowing that he had no one else to trust but Jimmy, he quickly exited the room, slamming the door on his way out.

Getting out of the hotel was easier than he thought. Indeed, Jimmy's magic was working; no one paid attention at him nor would he would have wanted any at the state of his clothes. _"Well, if I'm going to die, I might as well go to a boutique and buy a good suit."_

At first, Keitaro was undecided on what mode of transportation to use. During his teenage years, he used a bicycle to help with the delivery of his family's bakery goods. That also applied when he was still attending high-school. When he graduated and went to cram school, he walked from Hinata Inn to the train station and walked to again to the review center. Come to think of it, he usually used the train and nothing else. Laughing at his pathetic commuting days, he decided to take a cab; but not before withdrawing some cash to pay for the fare.

*****

Seeing his reflection on the mirror greatly boosted his ego.

Along with that was the numerous compliments that the saleslady gave him as he slipped in a very expensive two-hundred thousand yen suit. Of course, it was the woman's job to flatter him as if there was no tomorrow. But for Keitaro, who had been belittled by a lot of women in the past, her words made him feel good even if it spelled artificial enthusiasm in big, bold, capital letters. If he had more time, a luxury which he could not buy despite his money, he would have chosen a tailored suit. But he had to make do with the cards in his hand, and settle for an expensive, yet ready-to-wear suit.

Looking at his reflection once more, he studied the suit he brought for himself. The suit that he wanted to wear in order to make him feel better before he cross the great beyond. He felt good and smart at his choice: a minimalist navy blue suit, where his dress shirt underneath was of grayish white accented with blue lines, and his thin gray tie that nearly bordered on black. All in all, one could describe him as a man whose taste in clothes exemplify the simple, modern, and stylish, but not so flashy individual.

However, he was a little uncomfortable with his leather shoes. He rarely wore those kind of footwear. If memory served him right, the only time he did wear one was after his sad vacation in Kyoto where the trip exhausted his finances and he had to look for a part-time job in order to raise some money. He could still remember the blisters on his feet after walking for so long in those shoes. So what to do? He had money after all, and so he went through the boutique's whole collection of dress shoes just in order to find the right pair that would match his suit and not give him a hard time walking around.

Perfection was something impossible, but Keitaro wanted it nonetheless. Of course, it was impossible to achieve so he had to settle for the next best thing. It was a plus that the boutique had more than just clothes, it also had some space for genuine Swiss watches. He went for something with a leather strap, feeling that it was more suited for a gentleman. And luck seemed to shine on him, since the shop had a sister store that sold prescription glasses that were encased in fashionable frames. Though he had to wait for an hour, he did not mind. Time was running out for him, that he knew very well. So he just had to enjoy every second that he had.

*****

After finding the right clothes and the right pair of spectacles, he immediately went to a five-star restaurant to sample their finest offering on the menu. It was a pity that he was caught in a traffic jam that lasted an hour, not to mention that he spent a good two hours on satisfying his clothing vanity. But he did not mind, hunger was something alien to him now. He still felt the warmth and the chill of food, not to mention he still had his sense of taste. But that was simply it, there was really no need for him to sustain his body with food. The incident of him being split into six made sure of that.

But if there was something he wanted to do, even though it was not required of him anymore, it was to eat food—food that was exquisitely prepared that it was not even enough to sate one's hunger but to only to show that they had to power enjoy such luxury that was supposed to be a common thing.

And so, even if it was strange to eat lunch at four in the afternoon, he still did. Keitaro just wanted to make it appear that he was having an early dinner. But then again, with Jimmy's magic, people could not really give a damn about him.

The best food that the house could serve. That was what he wanted. A complete meal set from the hors d'oeuvre to dessert.

Cold cuts was the first to be served. He found it strange that Westerners eat their meat in such a manner. The only time he had to was when he was too lazy to microwave the pitiful leftovers back at the Hinata Inn. No complaints came from him. After all, cold as they may be, the meat made his tongue dance in exhilaration. It was then followed with a warm scotch broth which, in Keitaro's opinion, made him more aware of the different types of food served across the world; partially because most of the soup he had were either canned or traditional Japanese recipes, it was the first time for him to taste mutton.

But it was the main course that really made his tongue spin. Back when he was still studying in cram school for Tokyo University, he usually frequented a beef-bowl restaurant. The prices were cheap and the taste was passable; but as the old saying goes: there is no such thing as poison for the hungry man. Or as it was in his case, one who did not have money to afford better food. That memory shot itself out of his brain due to the fact that for the first time, he was eating a rare tenderloin steak. Unlike the cold cuts he had earlier, it was definitely warmer but not hot; and even though it was "cooked" the insides begged to disagree. He was not complaining though, there was something in that not-so-cooked preparation that tickled his palates, maybe it was the blood, maybe it was something else. It was also a plus that some boiled potatoes, almost just as large as his finger were there for a side-dish.

Somehow, Keitaro thought that he had to feel normal even though he was not anymore. One could not eat so many and not drink. And with the money he had, what was stopping him? The drink in question was red wine whose grapes were cultivated in the calcium heavy soil of Bordeaux, France. Not having any experience in drinking such alcoholic beverage, Keitaro did not know how to completely describe the taste; if he was pressed on further he might have blurted that the wine's taste was magnanimous.

Dessert was to be served, but Keitaro did not have any more desire for something sweet. His tongue was already satisfied with the food he had earlier; not to mention that it was already beginning to become dark outside—it seemed that he took a great deal of time savoring the taste of the food he paid for. As he was waiting for his bill, he could not help but miss something. There was no sense of denying it, the food was simply great, but there was something missing.

Restaurants served food with utmost attention to the aesthetics of the dish and more importantly the taste. But restaurants were restaurants, in the end, they served food for profit. Keitaro failed to notice a falling teardrop. Shinobu's cooking suddenly flashed on his head, or rather, invaded his taste buds. But more than that, what he truly missed was what dining was all about: it was a social event. Just like a bath in the hot springs, the table where you dine with people would become a deathwatch if there was no interaction at all. That was what bothered him. Back at Hinata Inns no matter what food was served, it had a lively atmosphere; before and after the splitting event. And that was what he truly missed.

For he was all alone.

*****

Walking down the twilight streets of Hinata City, Keitaro saw two people whom he was very familiar with. They were not tenants in the inn he managed, they were not even women. What struck him though was that they passed him without even a little bit of acknowledgement, which was strange since most of the time they were the ones who greet him first. Just as he was about to give in to another bout of depression, he remembered that Jimmy's magic was in effect and he was the one that needed to initiate contact in order to be noticed.

"Haitani! Shirai!" he called out.

Both of the bespectacled youths turned at the mention of their names. Fear was apparent in their eyes as they saw Keitaro. Somehow, the memory of being attacked by Urashima, the evil clone, was still alive in their memories.

Both of them trembled as they mumbled out, "Please don't hurt us!"

"Why the hell will I hurt you? Most of the time you two are the ones that get me in trouble."

They looked at Keitaro with some trepidation. It was as if he was going to clobber them if they said anything wrong. Shirai Kimiaki, who was the one who always teased him in the past, spoke first. "Keitaro? Is that really you? I mean, the Keitaro who---"

Somehow, the former kanrinin of Hinata Inn knew what he was about to say. "Is a failure when it comes to girls, had to take the entrance exam for three times, and such? Yeah that would be me."

"It is you!" the two chorused as their eyes lit up with the familiar expression of friendship.

"Wait," Haitani interjected, "Then who the hell was the guy that beat us to a bloody pulp back then?"

Keitaro smiled. "That'll be a long story." Inside his head, a new thought came up. _"Well, with the money I have, I guess it might be good to spend some time with them and treat while I'm at it. After all, they did help me in the past when it came to those tickets in Neverland."_ Looking at the two, "Say, you know a good place where guys can have a good time. Preferably far away from Hinata Inn."

"Eh? Why is that? Wouldn't it be better if it's near so you can go home quickly?" they both asked.

Folding his arms Keitaro simply said, "Well, let me see...I'm just thinking of having a good time, if you know what I mean. And that would be disastrous if the girls, find out."

Confusion still clouded over the Laurel and Hardy duo.

"If you know what I mean."

"Of course!" Haitani clasped his hands in epiphany. "I know a place..."

"Wow, Keitaro," Shirai was in tears when he realized what was Keitaro hinting about. "We are so thankful we have you as a friend."

A small, weak, but genuine joyful laugh came out of Keitaro. "So am I. Now come on, lead the way."

*****

Haitani and Shirai were already drunk.

But Keitaro did not mind. He was having fun after all. The two brought him in a karaoke box which had its servers cosplay in French maid uniforms. Said costumes served more as attention grabbers rather than functional clothes: the skirts were scandalously short, they wore black, three-inch high heels that accentuated their legs and appeal but otherwise would hinder them in real cleaning duties, they also had corsets that made them look thinner, last but not the least were the revealing necklines that made their breasts squeal and the black fishnet stockings that turned their already voluptuous legs irresistible to pet.

There were three of them; one for each guy. Shirai had Eri sitting on his lap. She seemed to be around in her early thirties, but that did not deter her from being beautiful. Keitaro observed that of the three, she was the one who wore the least makeup but still shined with some sort of vicious beauty. She was somewhat traditional too, instead of drinking straight from the bottle, she poured it on the glass and handed it to Shirai, making Kietaro think that she must be a bored housewife looking for some excitement by playing with fire.

Haitani, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of his chubby friend. Hitomi, his server, looked like as if she just turned sixteen yesterday. He tried to shake that thought off of his mind, but then again, the karaoke box was just a stone's throw away from the red-light district proper, so what was there to surprised of? Still, he could sense she was quite mature, she was not as aggressive or tending like Eri, but Haitaini was beholden of her. Perhaps it was here eyes that sparkled some innocence that wanted to be taken away. Her name, Hitomi, fitted her well, those beautiful eyes could have disarmed any man in an instant.

For Keitaro, the girl nuzzling beside him was called Naomi. He did not know what made him choose her. By far she was the most average of the girls, the only thing that made her stand out was her red hair.

Her red hair.

Something stirred in Keitaro's chest. Perhaps, it was indeed her hair. Even though she did not look like Naru at all, or was even the complete opposite of her personality, the fact that her red hair burned a fiery glow under the fluorescent lamp made his heart beat an old cadence he once had.

"Enjoying the atmosphere?" Naomi asked.

"Y-yeah."

"You want to order some more drink for us ladies?"

"Of course, go ahead make the call."

She stood up and made her way to the intercom to order for more beverage. _"Stupid."_ Keitaro thought to himself. He knew that it was her job to make them feel comfortable and make them order more and more. The way she would press her chest against his arms, her hands getting lost in his thighs, when she whispered some lighthearted stories about herself in a seductive manner and only a few millimeters aways from his ear; they were all calculated actions to make him want her—to make it easier for him to acquiesce to her "suggestions".

"_Maybe I should suggest something of my own..."_

As soon as she sat down beside him, Keitaro snuggled closer and placed her shoulder over her, and in a hushed tone asked, "What time does your shift end?"

She replied in a similar tone. "Around eight. Just don't tell the front desk."

"Of course."

*****

The merrymaking lasted for another hour. After that, Keitaro paid for the bill and gave a generous tip to the other two women. While at the same time, he dropped a few suggestive suggestions about giving Shirai and Haitani a few extra services. Eri and Hitomi agreed, but as the professionals that they were, they requested a "hush-hush" payment. Keitaro generously obliged their sweet extortion and they took the bespectacled duo somewhere else. As expected, the two could not thank him enough.

Naomi seemed to be taking her time. He then withdrew some money on the nearest automated teller, just in case he might come up short since he was the one that footed the bill and all. When he got back, the girl was still not there, so he decided to wait some more.

Just in time.

"Your place?"

Keitaro turned around and saw Naomi. Her maid outfit gone, she was now dressed in a white tube top, brown mini-skirt, and a black sweater wrapped around her waist. He scratched his cheeks and smiled a little, she was more beautiful now than the time she was cosplaying as a maid. "Nah, mine is messy right now. I guess a hotel would be better."

"Don't like them," she replied as she pulled out and lighted a cigarette. "My place then. It's just a walk away. Let's talk about the 'transaction' there." Without much preamble, she began walking away from him, prompting Keitaro to follow.

It was just a short walk like she said. But without any exchange of words, much more glances, it seemed longer that it should have. When they arrived at her flat, Naomi told him to wait on the sofa to which he complied without any questions. She went directly to her room, and from the sounds that he heard, Keitaro knew that she was taking a shower.

Around fifteen minutes passed before she called inside. She was sitting on her bed, her hair was already dry and combed, but she still wore her bathrobe. Straight to the point, she then asked, "A simple fuck? Or maybe you want something special?"

"How..." Keitaro swallowed his throat. Somehow, he was beginning to have some second thoughts. "How much?"

"If you can afford it, you shouldn't be even asking. I mean look at you." Naomi pointed at his suit, "Those clothes of yours must have been worth, around what? A hundred thousand yen or more," she curled her hair with finger as she pierced him with a judging glare; her eyes transformed a set of balancing scales, trying to weigh him in order to know whether he was worthy or wanting.

"How about if we talk about it later? I'm quite unused to this. And if you're going to ask, I guess I want the special package."

"Customer is always right," she sighed as she stood up. "Sit on the bed."

Keitaro quickly did what he was told. He saw Naomi lock the door and heard her inhale hard.

Then it started.

Letting loose of the bathrobe, Keitaro saw Naomi dressed in a pair of translucent brassiere and panties. No blood came out of his nose, but his little friend downstairs paid attention—a lot of attention, military grade attention. What made it more luscious for him was that her undergarments were like bikinis; both brassiere and panties were string-types, tempting him to unwind them in an instant.

She then walked towards him. Or rather, she glided towards him. Her footsteps could not be even heard. Perhaps it was just Keitaro, whose aching manhood deprived him of some of his sensory abilities.

As she got closer, around a foot or two to be precise, Keitaro instinctively reached for her.

But that gesture was met with a violent slap.

"No touching," Naomi's voice became husky all of a sudden. "At least, not yet."

There was no pain in that physical reprimand. Only electricity.

She walked towards the door once more and raised her arms, making her look like the letter Y. Naomi then planted her hands on the hardwood first, and then her whole body. With the word "seduction" floating over the room, she moaned as she slowly knelt down along with some slow gyrations, making sure that there was a sweet, fricative sound in the process. Standing up again, she resumed her letter Y stance, but this time, instead of kneeling down she rubbed her groin against the door; as if imagining something was already penetrating her.

When Naomi turned to face him, Keitaro noticed a trail of saliva dripping down her lips—both upper and lower lips. She slowly made her way towards him, with a mix of moans and hard breathing for every step she took. Climbing him with her knees drilling on his thighs, she tore him a gaze of intense longing. Keitaro thought that he was going to be kissed, but instead, felt her tongue tickle his Adam's apple; she gave her a lustful lick in that place that then traveled to his chin, then to his face, all the time avoiding his lips.

It was then that Naomi pushed him to his back and said, "Now..."

Instinct took over. Keitaro grabbed her arms and reversed their positions. But as he was about to kiss her, she placed her hands on his cheeks and with a playful voice said, "There's an extra if you want to have the girlfriend experience."

Keitaro answered by smothering her lips. He thought he was already aggressive at this point, but was proven wrong when he felt her tongue invade his mouth. Not wanting to be outdone, he engaged her in a oral fencing match. But he knew that he would lose, she was greatly skilled and experienced and he had to fall back. His lips seized her neck, but somewhat hesitated.

"Go ahead," Naomi purred, "I don't mind a hickey."

And so he did. Keitaro kissed, sucked, and bit her neck with such a force fitting for a man deprived of physical intimacy. Naomi moaned as she felt her blood vessels burst, it was a moan bordering on both pain and pleasure. That moan broke through Keitaro's self-control. He was now consumed by instict. No words would deter him any further. He tore Naomi's brassiere as if it was made of paper, earning him an irate response.

"You'll have to pay for that," she hissed. But the irritation on her face was drowned when Keitaro's lips collided on her bountiful chest. Though he did not bite, he licked, he kissed, and gently sucked her breasts; more moans and groans, both real and faked, escaped from her. Then he stopped, which Naomi knew was a signal that he was ready. She knew it was useless trying to reason with him not to rip her knickers apart, so she simply spread her legs and gave him her most seductive smile.

As expected, the panties suffered the same fate of the brassiere. The sight of a now and fully unclothed womanhood made Keitaro go overboard. However, with zero experience, Naomi had to help him relax so he could penetrate her; making her chuckle a little. Those chuckles immediately vaporized when Keitaro violently made his way inside. Naomi mentally congratulated herself in knowing that this could happen; it was a good thing that she applied a hearty amount of lubricant beforehand.

Nothing special. That was dominating thought in her head when Keitaro solicited her for an extra service. A young man, average looking, wearing an expensive suit, spending as if there was no tomorrow; she had met a lot of those type of men in the past. Said men would be in a high paying job, perhaps they even had girlfriends or wives, sometimes she knew they had children; all of them were the same, bored to no end and always looking for another adventure.

All of that changed when Keitaro buried his chest on her own. Those notions just had to change. Even though she felt his hips ramming towards her, what caught her attention more was the beating of his heart. It was unlike any other. There was no desire for conquest in its beat, its tone was heavy and forlorn, the cadence contained more loneliness instead of lust.

When he suddenly became stiff, she snapped back to reality and remembered her job. She quickly faked a moan of intense pleasure. Preserving a man's ego was a part of the job after all. "You were fantastic," she lied in a saccharine voice.

"Really?" Keitaro muttered as he disengaged from her; body fluids dripping on the way out.

Naomi reached to her drawer and took a pack of cigarettes, "Want one?" she offered.

Keitaro silently accepted the cancer stick. They both smoked for a while, and when he was already going to finish he heard Naomi mutter, "After that, pay up and get the hell out."

"Strange, I though you'd be much sweeter."

Silence. After all, he was right. The attitude she exhibited was out of character for her, and if she always did that, she would have had a hard time getting regular clients. She stood up and dressed in her bathrobe. When she finally had herself covered, she named her price. "Fifty-thousand yen."

"Including the lingerie?"

"Those were cheap knock-offs. I had some clients who were stupider that stupid and don't know how to handle lingerie. That was the time when I stopped using good brands."

Wordlessly, Keitaro took his time in dressing up. When he looked decent again, he walked to her side and gently dropped his payment.

Naomi's eyes bulged when she saw the amount of the bills in her bed. "This is too much."

"That's just four times more of what you asked me."

"Still, it's too much." Naomi grabbed the bills, stood up, and shoved it to Keitaro's chest. "Don't you dare judge me."

"I'm not. I just had a good time, that's all."

"Liar," she hissed. Naomi knew that there was something else going inside her recent client's head.

"Why don't you just take what I said at face value?" Keitaro frowned.

"You're not like most of my clients you know."

"Meaning?"

"You wanted to have fun with me, that I know well. But your something else."

Keitaro gave a defeated and tired sigh. "Look, I don't think I have that much time. I don't want to be rude, but just take the money. Just consider that rest as something extra. You gave me a good time. I just felt that it was proper to pay that much."

Wrapping her arms around her, she locked her eyes on him with a scrutinizing look. "Are you running away from something?"

"What made you say that?" Keitaro said, while gazing on her orbs, albeit in a different manner.

"Woman's intuition. I just felt as if you're trying to have one last hooray or something."

Chuckling a little, Keitaro replied, "Yeah. I guess you're right about that one. I'll be going now. Thanks."

"Lock the door on your way out."

Keitaro simply waved his hand in affirmation. Surely enough, Naomi heard the door click when it was closed. As she counted the bills that was on her hands, she felt that she needed to scold herself. Why the hell she felt that way when Keitaro looked at her was something she will never know. But somehow, she felt that whatever suffering the young man was undergoing, it must have had stuck on her.

*****

Outside, Keitaro shuffled away from Naomi's flat. He knew the she lied to him about being great in bed. The cynical part of his brain told him that such feat would have been impossible. If experienced men fail to satisfy their partners, what more could be expected of man who never had any in the first place?

Pure and simple sex. A simple exchange of bodily fluids. Their coupling was nothing more of a business transaction—meet and greet, show the green, exchange, then both parties walk away feeling better. But he did not any feel any better; nor did he feel any worse. What happened between him and the redheaded escort was anything but hollow.

Back when he was in high-school, the locker room talk of the boys mentioned a lot about sex. It was supposed to be good, he heard them said, and one should look for any opportunity do the deed. He did follow that a few minutes ago, but they were wrong. He felt that at that moment he was some misguided idealist, wishing that his first time was with someone he truly loved. If the boys back in high-school heard his thoughts, he was sure that he would have been a laughingstock for harboring such sappy and insipid ideas.

The trek back to the hotel almost took forever.

*****

Keitaro sat down on the bed.

Looking at the clock, he noticed that it was only a quarter past eleven. He chuckled. Time flew by so quick. Perhaps it was because of he did not take a cab going back to the hotel and walked instead. After all, even a death convict would not be really excited about their own execution.

Remembering what was on the letter earlier that morning, he stood up and went towards the desk. On top of it was a strange looking crystal; around six inches in length and hexagonal in structure. Also, another black bond paper was there. Merely picking it up activated the magic spell, and Jimmy's written words and instructions penned itself on the paper.

*****

"It's called a dream crystal. Just find somewhere comfortable to sit or to lie down and close your eyes. You can sleep if you want, but it's bot really needed. Just think of the people you want to talk to and tell them what you want to tell. Send them a message, sing a song to them, you're the one calling the shots. Whatever you think of and say to them will appear in their dreams."

"Just thought that maybe you wanted to say goodbye. This was the best idea I could think of."

*****

Clutching the crystal with both hands he returned to bed and lay himself. Breathing deep, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to dream.

*****

Naru groaned as she tossed and turned on her bed.

Or rather, their bed.

She nearly screamed when she found out that she woke up with someone beside her. That someone, was a young man who suddenly had a psychotic episode on just a few hours ago and tried to kill a friend of hers.

"Na-chan? What's wrong honey?"

confusion became evident on her face as she saw a groggy Keitaro getting up from his sleep. If that was not enough, their door violently slid open, and with it, came two children who looked like them.

"Good morning tochan!" the boy brightly exclaimed as he jumped towards the bed, tackling Keitaro in the stomach.

It was different for the girl, who seemed cold but respectful. "A good morning to you, hahaue."

Not knowing how to respond, Naru just stared at them with a dumbfounded look. It was a good thing that Keitaro recovered from the boys attack. "Well kids, good morning too." He turned to the girl and said, "Keiko-chan, you really are spending too much time with Motoko. You're even getting her mannerisms and polite demeanor."

"I strive to please, oto-sama," she responded.

Keitaro chuckled at her, not knowing how to reply back. He then shifted his attention to the boy, "Keisuke-chan, you're big now. You shouldn't be jumping on me you and your mom's bed."

"Keisuke-kun!" the boy corrected his father. "I'm not a girl! And I'm big already!"

"And you're still jumping on our bed."

"Hahaue, oto-sama, breakfast is ready. Kanako-san told us to fetch you."

Keisuke's eye brightened up. "Ha, Keiko-chan is so impolite! That should Kanako-obasan."

"Aniki, Kanako-san requested that we refrain from calling her such."

"Okay, break it you two." Keitaro turned to Naru, "Come on, we better not keep them waiting."

Still dumbstruck and unbelieving of the situation presented before her, Naru simply nodded and followed the three downstairs. She recognized that the place they were at was none other than Hinata Inn itself; the hallway's structure told her of this. But if there was something strange about her usual abode, it was totally brand new and meticulously maintained.

Downstairs, she found all of her friends and fellow board-mates, although some were missing.

The clones were nowhere to be found.

"Argh! Naru, I know you're really happy with Keitaro coming back from his expedition, but jeez, we were trying to get some sleep. You're not the only one whose tired."

"Kitsune, if I recall correctly, Naru was not tired at all last night. She was so vigorous. Never mind the fact that her husband came late at night."

"Motoko-senpai, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, look! Shinobu is blushing again!"

"Hey! Hey!" Keitaro clapped his hands to get their attention "We've got kids around here!"

"Don't worry Keitaro," Kitsune purred, "They'll never know what we're talking about."

"True," Motoko agreed but then added, "However, in a few years time, they shall become knowledgeable of the subject."

"Pertaining to what, Motoko-sensei?" Keiko asked.

A slight cough came out of the swordswoman. "All in their proper time, my student."

"As you will, sensei."

Naru did not know whether to be relieved or to be frightened. All of them were acting so normal, as if the madness of the recent events did not happen at all. What was worse, was that it seemed she was the mother of the two children that barged into the room earlier—which meant that Keitaro was her husband and she was his wife.

"Um," she finally gained some voice back and asked. "Where is Suu?"

"Are you okay Naru?" Keitaro had a worried look on his face. "She's back at Molmol, remember?"

"Back at Molmol?"

"Yeah. Since last year. She called me up five months ago since they found an archaeological site there. So me and Seta flew there."

"And you just returned?"

The lively atmosphere that the dining room had suddenly vanished.

"Naru, are you alright? I mean Keitaro came back already, you were so happy last night."

"A few hours ago. To be precise, in the early morning hours." Motoko corrected the gray-haired fox.

Naru smiled. "Oh, it's nothing. Been thinking too much I guess."

With that settled, she decided to play along. And so the lively atmosphere came back. Small talk here and there, questions about some future plans, a little quarrel about who gets what, all in all, a normal morning at the breakfast table at Hinata Inn.

After the morning meal, each of them began to go separate ways.

"I'll be at the casino if anyone looks for me!" Kitsune waved off as she sped outside.

"Naru-senpai, Keitaro-senpai, I'll be going to my culinary lessons now." Shinobu bowed and and made her way out.

If the two women were going somewhere else, another woman stepped inside and greeted them. "Ah, onii-chan, good morning. So now, I hope that my sister-in-law is happy that her husband is back."

"Kanako-obasan!" Keisuke sped towards his aunt and hugged her.

"Naru-san, please give me permission to whack this son of yours."

"But you are my obasan, right?" Keisuke argued.

"Keisuke-chan," Kanako's ruby eyes glinted with foreboding. "In a few years you call me that. For now, it's Kanako-san, okay?"

In the child's eternal sunlight of innocence, he replied, "Ah, because you'd be old then, right?"

"Keisuke-chan?"

"Yes?"

"I agreed to teach you martial arts, right?"

"Right!"

"You know the best way of survival?"

"Um..." Keisuke slowly inched his way towards the door. "Running."

"Good!" Kanako exploded with a considerable amount of ki, prompting the boy to run for his life; screaming at the top of his lungs along the way.

Kanako followed him.

"Is he going to be okay?" Naru asked Keitaro.

"He'll be fine. It's Kanako teaching him after all."

"Hahaue, oto-sama, Motoko-senpai and I would be at the roof to train."

"Okay then, don't strain yourselves alright."

With that, Naru and Keitaro were left alone.

"Want to help me with the dishes, dear?"

"Huh? Oh sure," Naru picked up dishes while Keitaro cleaned the table. Then they both winded up towards the kitchen to wash the plates.

The redhead observed her supposed husband hum while doing his work. Somehow, she felt at ease seeing him like that. She did not know why, but she felt guilty in knowing and feeling that she was not supposed to be here. There was another man for her. And it was not the one busy cleaning the plates and utensils. His name was not Keitaro, but he looked like Keitaro. He had all of his characteristics, save for the usual clumsiness that made him look like a pervert from time to time.

"Keitaro?"

"Yes?"

"When did we get married?"

At first he did not answer. He kept scrubbing the pot lid blackened by flame.

"Keitaro?"

"Ten years ago."

"How about Keiko and Keisuke?"

"Keisuke is older by a year. He was born eight years ago. Then was followed by Keiko."

"I don't remember us having a job."

"Sure you do. You're a teacher at the local elementary school. I'm a Tokyo University professor."

"I took teaching as my major back in the university?"

"Yeah, and I was in archeology."

"Keitaro...last time I remembered, I was still undecided."

"Were you?" He did not stop in scrubbing the pot in his hands, despite the fact that it was already a shining silver.

"All I had were floating courses, and so were you."

Silence.

"Is this a dream, Keitaro?"

At those words, the bespectacled man stopped what he was doing. He turned to Naru and walked closer. "You don't want this to be real?"

"Do you?" Naru's eyes began to water.

"Yes." Keitaro's glassy orbs began to follow suit. "This is how I would have wanted it to happen. You and me married, with two kids, living our happy lives. The rest of the gang pursuing their own dreams and such."

"Dreams? Keitaro...is this a dream? Your dream?"

"What is real Naru?" he answered evasively. "What is real? The one that you see right in front of you? Or the one that goes at the back of your head?"

Naru ran towards him and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry, Keitaro. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I can't be in this dream of yours."

"Don't be. I guess I just wanted to know what you really felt for me."

She fiercely hugged him. "Come back to us Keitaro. We'll listen to you. We know, and I know, that you never really wanted to hurt us. Just come back to us."

"I can't Naru. For you and the rest to be safe, for the people that I love to be safe...I'm better of dead."

"What?" Naru became alarmed at his exposition.

Keitaro cupped her cheeks and looked and gazed at her eyes. There was so much pain in the young man's orbs, yet he did not cry. Slowly he inched his lips towards her face, and Naru closed her eyes that were still streaming with tears. She felt his lips and warm breath so close to hers.

But she never felt a kiss at that place.

It was on her forehead instead. And with, she knew that he have come to accept her decision.

"Naru..."

"What is it Keitaro? She opened her eyes and saw that he was slowly fading from her sight.

"I will always love you."

Everything went black.

*****

Keitaro woke up with tears in his eyes; the dream was over.

The crystal in his clasped hands felt warm and he smelled a lingering scent of sadness in the form of a white smoke from the magical thingamajig. Raising his hands, he saw that it became onyx in color; a glaring indicator of magic that was finally expended.

Slowly getting up, he cursed a little when he saw the time. He was already fifteen minutes late. But then again, he was in no hurry to die. Let the magician wait. After all, no matter how much time he will spend getting to their rendezvous point, it will only end in one way.

*****

"You're fucking late. As in one fucking hour late."

"Got a smoke Jimmy?"

Chuckling a little, the magician offered him a piece of Lucky Strike. "Well, I don't mind. No man in his right mind would want to speed up his execution date."

Keitaro only gave out an incoherent mumble.

"So, had fun?"

"Yeah."

"Seems that you didn't."

"All things being relative I guess."

Jimmy waited for a moment or two before he fired another question. "Ready to die?"

"No." Keitaro's answer earned him a raised brow from the magician.

"Fair enough. I guess no one really is."

"Jimmy..."

"Yeah?"

"How will you kill me?"

"Hellfire," Jimmy took out a plastic pouch inside his jacket. "That spell converts sulfur into a jet of infernal flames. Burns anything in an instant, unless it is shielded by magic."

Keitaro shifted a little as he puffed the cigarette. "Unless shielded by magic?"

"Yeah. And in your cases, it might take a long time. I don't know if it's painful. Never got burned. Those who did, died quickly, so I guess no one can really say."

"So..."

"If you're going to ask whether I'll kill you right now. Well the answer is, not yet." Jimmy walked towards a bench and sat down; relaxing his body that received some beating from the last day. "I want to tell a story first."

"You want me to start?" the young man snickered.

"Go ahead."

"Okay then," finishing the Lucky, Keitaro dropped it to the ground and crushed the pathetic remains. "Once upon a time..."

Jimmy continued the rest of the story.

*****

"There was a witch who lived near a village. Unlike most witches, she was a beautiful and kind. She didn't cackle or come out at night to eat children. Herbs were her specialty, she would usually sell it to the townsfolk from time to time. But that didn't mean that people there loved her. Well, they didn't hate her either, they were simply afraid of her. That usually happens when you got a lot of power in your hands."

"Now, one day, a out-of-towner comes to town. He was the usual sort of guy. When he heard the local legends, he laughed his ass off because he couldn't believe that there was a thing such as a beautiful witch. So, being the asshole that he is, he went out to the witch's residence. He never expected to fall in love and fall hard at that time."

"Long story short, the roses, teddy bears, and candle-lit dinners followed. Then he proposed. But the witch wasn't so sure of him. So she told him that they should meet at this certain place at this certain time to prove that he really loves her."

"But the Bee Gees were having a concert nearby, so tragedy struck. The guy got wasted by some highwaymen. So, our poor, beautiful, and love-filled witch waited alone for some time. She was so lovestruck that she waited for days. Then weeks. But one way or another, you'd lose your patience. She was so scorned that a storm came by."

"That was when she did it. Because she didn't have a cellphone, beeper, or pager, fax, and email, she let loose a very damning curse. Said curse was that any man who fell in love with her or her daughters would die, not that really fast but after some time. Of course, in order for that to work she needed a kid. So she had a change of residence, got knocked up to some guy—who got killed a few weeks after."

"And so that's what happened. Her daughters, granddaughters, and descendants kept on with that cycle; knowingly or more tragic, unknowingly."

*****

"What's got to do with me?" Keitaro asked with squinted eyes. It was expected since it did not have a clear lesson unlike Jimmy's earlier stories.

Taking a Lucky and lighting it he began, "I still got another story."

"Fuck this Jimmy! Every minute that I stand here is killing me already!"

The magician paid no heed to the young man's distress and went on. "This story doesn't need a once upon a time, you see the second story is about a boy and girl playing on stupid sandbox."

Keitaro was stunned. "H-how?"

"Shut the fuck up first Taro, let me finish." Taking a breather from the cigarette he continued, "So, the girl says some bullshit about this Tokyo whatever. About some sort of 'I'll meet you there someday' cliché. Well, the boy was really, really, as in big-time fucking stupid. You know what he does? He agrees! He makes the same shitty promise."

"THERE'S NOTHING SHITTY ABOUT THAT PROMISE!" Keitaro was livid with rage, his breathing was erratic, and despite all the help the magician gave to him, he was now at the point where he may snap Jimmy's neck.

Calm and cool as ice, Jimmy reminded him of something during the first time they met. "Remember why I never wanted to know your real name?"

"Something about power or any other bullshit you usually say."

"Right, right," Jimmy took a puff and looked at the young man with a more serious look. "Names have power. Curses have power. Words have power. And just like what someone told me: promises, vows, oaths, even more so."

"P-promises? W-what does that have to do with anything?"

"Truth to be told, I'm quite in the dark. I can only guess, and so here it goes. When you made that promise as a kid, it was filled with so much innocence that somehow it triggered some sort of magic. And if you're going to ask, no, you're not a magician. It just so happened that maybe you were so serious, or determined to fulfill that promise that the world took a liking on you."

"The world?" Keitaro was becoming more and more baffled. "Just what the hell---"

"Just like what that witch did. Her curse was so powerful because of the emotions she felt at that time. Not to be boastful, but I tried my luck in breaking that one. Suffice to say that I never stood a chance. Same goes with you. With your innocence, along with your good-natured heart, that promise just had to add a little bit of extra. You know what that extra is, you've had it since then."

"My immortality?"

"Right on."

"But I died."

"And the magical world had some minor fuck-ups because of that. Your immortality is fueled by the world's magic. Not that much, but enough to cause some friction when somebody tries to play with it."

A sudden flash of insight appeared on Keitaro's eyes. "When I was brought back..."

"Yeah, you're right on that one. Remember the second time we went drinking at McGinty's? You told me that your clones lost their immortality. I had some theories back then why the portal opened, but I wasn't sure. So I asked you, but then you didn't know either. What I did then was to visit a certain part of your memory through that lock of hair I stole from you. And when I saw you making that promise, the pieces all fell through in their right places."

There was only silence coming from Keitaro. So Jimmy continued on, "When you were split up into six, the magic that kept you immortal fizzled creating a distortion. It was an unbound energy without somewhere to go, making the day of your disappearance look like a minor error in some computer. The biggest problem was that it registered that there were six of you, as expected the magical energy needed to keep you immortal was not enough. It had to borrow from other places, hence the numerous incidents in the magic community back that day. But you were brought back, and suddenly there seven of you. That's why the Guardian of Time and Space was so pissed off; the seven of you should not have existed on just one space."

"Because there are six additional people like me..."

"That's right. But those other six began to change. You told me that yourself. Slowly but surely, they gained some sort of awareness. That fact that they discarded your name was evidence of that. They stopped being you, they even stopped being a part of you, they became themselves. Their own selves."

"Is that why they lost their immortality?" Keitaro guessed.

"Jackpot, my boy. So here comes the real kicker: all of the magic in them went to you." Jimmy crushed his cigarette with his shoes and went for another stick. "Tell me, did that immortality of yours work that way in the past?"

"No," Keitaro rubbed his temples at the revelation that was being exposed to him. "I get bruises, some wounds. They don't become fatal. But I did have to cover them up with bandages and everything. I even got my leg broken one time."

"Hope you don't mind the analogy with math, but that's the biggest problem. If you view yourself as a container having only a capacity for one unit,just try to imagine seven units all loaded up inside you. That's why you healed so fast, to the point of insanity. No to mention your paradoxical existence."

"Paradoxical?"

"Yeah, you hear me. Paradox. You're supposed to be dead. And you were dead. The split-up did kill you. But then there was the promise, and because of that, it went haywire. More problems came when you were brought back. Your not dead, but you're not alive either. Hell, you're not even undead. You seem to be in a constant state of flux between life and death. You're actually dying inside but the magic keeps you going on."

Keitaro was now shaking. There was just no way he could fully understand what has happened to him. Even if he did, the problem of acceptance was there. "All of this because of that promise?"

Jimmy simply nodded.

"THEN WHAT NOW? CAN I STILL DIE? YOU TOLD ME THAT THE MAGIC KEEPING ME ALIVE IS TOO POWERFUL! WHAT NOW JIMMY ? WHAT NOW?"

"Calm the fuck down and listen to me." The magician finished his cigarette and took a deep breath of early morning air. "You might still have a second shot for a normal life. But you're the one who must do it, I'll only be here to help."

The magician's calm tone of giving a distant hope did not sit well with Keitaro. "Go fuck yourself Jimmy."

"I can't. My dick is too short to reach up my ass."

Jimmy's riposte defused the tense exchange, and both men laughed.

Only for it to end with Keitaro crying out, "Just hurry up and kill me Jimmy. It doesn't matter anymore. If you don't do it, then that vortex would be out of control."

"Not all promises could be kept Taro. Remember that."

"She's not interested anymore."

"But you're still stuck on the end of your bargain."

"Jimmy...please. Just kill me."

"No, I'd rather help you get out of this fucked up scenario."

"Jimmy..."

"Remember what I told you. About the power of words. You might not be keen of keeping that promise, but you never said it out loud. Unlike the first time."

Silence.

"Please Taro, trust me on this one."

Urashima Keitaro was tired. He was tired of everything. But what was there to lose for a man fated to die? So he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. When he opened them, he looked up into the sky and saw the parade of lanterns that was the start. Massive balls of light, swirling with energy beyond compare; most of them were already dead, yet the distance they had away from Earth still permitted them to shine.

A sad smile crept on the young man's face. With all the sadness, the rage, the disappointments, and perhaps happiness, he raised his fists against the heavens and reneged on his promise.

"CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME OUT THERE? I'LL ADMIT IT, I MADE THAT PROMISE. YES, I KNOW PROMISES MUST BE KEPT!"

Panting hard, with some sniffs and tears, he calmed down and went on.

"Promises must be kept. Especially if the person you promised is dear to you. I hoped that those feeling would have lasted forever..."

"But they didn't..."

"Without people knowing it, our memories would grow dim. They might even become lost in the dark and disappear forever. That's what happened! I never forgot! Maybe she did, maybe she didn't, I don't know..."

Keitaro cried hard. He threw his glasses on the ground just so that tears would not be hindered. There was still some rage in his heart, but it was getting lonelier for every second that passed. Looking up to the heavens once more, he continued his rant.

"I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! YOU HEAR ME? THAT PROMISE I MADE? YEAH, I'M NOW IN THE UNIVERSITY, BUT I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! TO HELL WITH THAT GIRL! TO HELL WITH HAPPINESS!"

All of his energy spent on shouting, Keitaro fell on his knees.

"To hell with that promise..."

At this point, Jimmy stood up and took out another plastic bag; it was not sulfur inside, but salt. Tearing it open, he walked towards the young man, tracing the white powder around Keitaro in a circle.

"Is that it?" Keitaro asked.

"Well, you're no immortal Scotsman, and you're head didn't get chopped off. So no electricity for you."

"Jimmy...just what happens now."

The magician turned his back. He knew something nasty was about to come, and deep inside his head, his heart, he knew he would have a hard time being a witness. "You'll die..."

Not long hearing those words, Keitaro felt a violent torrent of vomit come out from his mouth. It was blood, not red in color, but black with death. Indescribable pain surged through his body, and the next thing he knew, he was already choking. When he forced himself to throw up, he was horrified to find that all of his teeth had fallen off. He called out for Jimmy, but with the lack of his enamel set, it seemed that he sounded off more of a pathetic gurgle.

Jimmy knew what was happening, but he did not have the courage to look. But he composed himself, knowing that his gamble might be compromised if the circle of salt was tampered in any way. "STAY INSIDE THAT CIRLCE!" the magician barked.

It seemed like any order for Keitaro, but he did not know that it was laced with magic to keep him immobile. His eyes burned with great pain, he was now unable to move, much more talk. And if losing his teeth was not enough, he felt his jaw shatter into a thousand pieces. Delirium overtook his body, he was feverish to the point of boiling. Keitaro could only guess, but the bone marrow must have mixed with his blood; a deadly and very debilitating poison.

An epiphany too late; that was what he felt. With the promise broken, or rather ignored, the innumerable injuries he suffered in the past had come to take its due. More blood came out, not only from his mouth, but from his ears, nose, and eyes as well. The old pain on his once broken leg came around, and in a painful instant, he knew it snapped again. With so much pain in his body, he lost control of his lower excretory system, making him wet and soil his pants.

And he had to scream. But even that luxury was taken away from him. His chest burst out, making his ribcage fly along with his heart and lungs. What made it worse, was he still was not dead at this point. He was till watching his body tear itself apart, piece by piece. But Fate seemed to kind, when the time that his internal organs began rupturing, the pain was already lessened. Maybe because the nerves had been damaged themselves. More tears along with blood flowed from his eyes as he saw his legs and arms being sliced off by some malevolent and unseen force.

Finally, the end came when his skull cracked open, with his brain oozing out of its shell. This time, he finally saw darkness.

Thorough those times, Jimmy was also crying. He had to admit that he was a coward at the worst of times, and this was one of those times. He turned around slowly, and almost threw up at what he saw. But for the sake of helping one Urashima Keitaro, he controlled himself.

Which seemed almost like a great feat. For down on the cold, gray concrete, encircled in a circle of salt, was not a corpse. It could not be even called as such. It was a bloody mess; a sickening mixture of blood, bone, bits of organs, and brain matter—it was a carcass.

Jimmy slowly walked inside the circle, careful not to break the tracing, and paying no heed to the sickening squishes that his shoes made. Picking up a severed arm, he swallowed, took a deep breath, and in a tearful voice, called out for the young man.

"Urashima Keitaro, tell me...tell me...tell me...that despite all the shit the world throws at you. No matter how painful or insufferable life is, tell me that it's still worth living...TELL ME YOU WANT TO LIVE!"

No one, or perhaps, nothing would ever know whether it was the machinations of the demons of Hell, or the orchestrations of the angels of Heaven, that made that voice speak. That voice that was so lacking in sound, but full in conviction; that voice that was so distant to the mind, yet so close to the heart; that voice which only answered in affirmation.

"_Yes...I still want to live."_

Redeemed by that answer, Jimmy clasped the bloody limb with both hands. Only one word was his answer to the earlier answer; a word that ended prayers, a word that also embodied affirmation, but in a greater level.

"Amen."

___________________

**Author's Notes:**

The Shards timeline and minor summary.

Chapters 1,2,&3 – Saturday night; Keitaro and Jimmy meet for the first time.

Chapter 4 – Sunday; Keitaro takes hold of a situation, residents are surprised at his change of demeanor.

Chapter 5 – Monday; An ordinary day for Keitaro, discovers the seeming lack of healing powers of his clones.

Chapter 6 – Monday, same day as Chapter 5; intermission chapter, Jimmy investigates some ordinary deaths and meets up with Yuko.

Chapter 7 – Tuesday morning and afternoon; ordinary class day for Keitaro. Naru nearly forces him to have sex with her. Setsuna makes an appearance but is in disguise. Kanako returns.

Chapter 8 – Tuesday night and Wednesday morning until early night; talk with Motoko, Kei discovers that the clones lost their immortality as affirmed by Shinichi, calls up Jimmy

Chapter 9 – Wednesday, same as Chapter 8; intermission again. Jimmy investigation leads him to ask Edward, an alchemist, almost gets killed by a monster but is saved by Sailor Plutop

Chapter 10 – Wednesday night; second meeting of Jimmy and Kei, the two talks about various topic, one of them is about revenge. Takes a trip to Kei's head to know why he forgot some of his memories.

Chapter 11 – Thursday all-throughout; Kei makes peace with Kanako and discovers numerous hitodama, begins to feel that something is terribly wrong.

Chapter 12 – Thursday like the last chapter; intermission again, Jimmy nearly gets killed by Ichi. Gets saved by Tsuruko but falls under suspicion because he's a foreigner. Evades the swordswoman for now.

Chapter 13 – Friday morning to afternoon; Keitaro and Jimmy meet in the morning. The magician takes him to his friend, Nelson. Kei is flatlined in order for Jimmy to explain his situation.

Chapter 14 – Friday afternoon; Jimmy reveals the result of his investigations. Setsuna finally appears to Kei as Sailor Pluto. Keitaro goes back to Hinata.

Chapter 15 – Friday afternoon; Kei tried to kill Suu in front of the whole Hinata Gang.

Chapter 16 – Friday afternoon to night; Battle Royale at Hinata Inn. Keitaro nearly succeeds but is foiled by Tsuruko.

Chapter 17 – Friday night; Tsuruko vs Keitaro. Kei loses and gets flown to Hinata Park. Naru, Haruka, and Tsuruko decide to look for him. Jimmy tells Kei that about the demon vortex but is interrupted by the kuchisake-onna.

Chapter 18 – Friday night; Kei battles the possessed woman. The female trio finds Jimmy then finds Kei, then finds the monster. Jimmy's exorcism is a success and the two men make their escape. The magician gives Kei one last favor.

Chapter 19 – Saturday all day until Sunday early morning; Keitaro's enjoys his last day and dies.


	20. Maybe Tomorrow Is A Better Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any form. What I own, however, is this fanfic.**

**Authors Notes:**

This is the final chapter. At long last. I decided to finish it before I take my exams so it won't bug me anymore. In any case, R&R guys!

Wonderbee31: Always look at the bright side, that's Keitaro's personality.

Abel Nightcross: Well, here is the last chapter.

Zeroeye: Study hard!

YoungKonoha: Kei hopes the past will not come back to haunt him.

windybreeze: And so it is done!

Squire of Gothos: Oh yes please, I would really love an update on that. Highlander is one of my favorite movies.

Now for the story indicators:

"Word" Spoken out loud

_"Word" _Thoughts

"WORD" Scream/Shouts

***** Change in location, or in some cases time (as in flashbacks)

This fanfic is rated Mature for the use of cigarettes, alcohol consumption, profanity, and other mature elements and themes.

Reader discretion is advised.

**Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 20: Maybe Tomorrow Is A Better Day**

A funeral was being held.

What made that particular event rare, or perhaps strange to some, was that it was a Catholic funeral. The presence of that Western religion was known, still it was a rarity in Buddhist populated Japan. Another aspect that was worth noting was the practice of cremation in that country. Plots of land were notoriously difficult and expensive to purchase; whether it was for a residence or a grave. Thus the the need of burning corpses into ashes, putting them to funeral jars, and burying it in a very small and enclosed area. Sometimes, the families just bring the ashes to their homes in order to spare themselves of the financial troubles.

And in that particular practice, the funeral at present was very strange indeed. Outside the church a grave was already dug up, ready to contain the coffin after the final rites had been given. Perhaps it was because of the fact that the Catholic Church had managed to outlive the Roman Empire that it held considerable wealth and power. With enough resources to buy a large plot of land to build a church; and the space was large enough to accommodate a graveyard for foreigners.

But with all the noticeable peculiarities, no Japanese citizen would have even cared. After all, the church and the graveyard themselves were located on the outskirts of Hinata City. The resident priest rarely went out of his sanctuary, and there were only a few Catholics who resided in that city in the Kanagawa prefecture—and they were coffee shop Catholics at most.

Despite the awful state of religion in the place, the funeral at present was a solemn one. Angelic voices could be heard dancing with the wind. Said music was not supernatural in nature, it came out from an old but well-maintained cassette player. Still, the music was so forlorn that it would have moved an ordinary person to tears. But the three men present in that particular funeral were not ordinary in any sense at all.

Of the three men, two of them were mourners—who did not even weep. There was no sadness in their eyes, but they were not that joyful either. It could be said that there was only resignation in their faces or the begrudging acceptance that what has come to pass can never be undone. They seemed to be a strange pair, those two mourners. The shorter and older man wore a charcoal gray suit with a white shirt underneath, snaked by a brown silk tie. His rugged face, his jet black eyes that was shielded by glasses and the hair that was parted on the left indicated the he was a man matured by the hard passing of the years; even though he seemed to be only in his late twenties to early thirties. On the other hand, his companion who was taller and younger, wore a dark blue suit, typical in the legal or commercial profession. His light blue shirt was accented by a monochrome yellow silk tie that bordered to black. If there was something else that made them a yin-yang pair, the older man had black hair and wore autumn brown leather gloves and shoes, while his younger counterpart had hazelnut brown hair and was donned in black dress shoes and gloves.

Lastly there was the priest. He was like any average, day-to-day, man of the cloth. A simple black cassock, a sash that was worn on funerals, and necklace with a cross, those were the things that made him ordinary amongst those men. With his vow of poverty, expensive suit like what the mourners wore were of out of the question. Nonetheless, he was still far from being ordinary. After all, he was Father Kotomine Kirei; an enigmatic man who possesses arctic eyes not befitting a priest, yet has extensive knowledge of theology.

The mass inside the church was a surprisingly quick affair, but it still maintained its solemnity. Both mourners were deathly silent during the time that Father Kotomine administered the absolution for the dead, with the Libera Me, Domine as the background music. It was only the slight grunts of the two mourners when they hoisted up the mahogany coffin that could have otherwise undone such atmosphere. Still, silence reigned supreme. Only interrupted by the almost inaudible clicks from the cassette player when a change of music had to be done. Their procession from the church to outside where the grave was dug was accompanied by In Paradisum.

Stopping near the open grave, both mourners gently placed the coffin on the soft, grass covered ground. A sigh of relief came out of them, but they had no time to rest. They quickly gained their bearings and prepared for the final prayers of the ceremony.

With the coffin accounted for, Father Kotomine did his part. Opening his small, leather bible to where a string bookmarked the passage for the reading, he then chanted: "Next I saw a large white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence and there was no place for them. I saw the dead, the great, and the lowly standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. Then another scroll was opened, the book of life. The dead were judged according to their deeds, by what was written in the scrolls. The sea gave up its dead; then Death and Hades gave up their dead. All the dead were judged according to their deeds."

More ancient prayers were said, and with the sprinkling of the holy water, and a final petition from the priest, the signs of the cross amongst the three, the funeral was over.

It was at this point, that the man in the charcoal gray suit spoke. "Just a nitpick Father. Aren't we supposed to lay down the coffin six feet under the ground?"

"Jimmy," Father Kotomine, not angry or surprised by the question. He simply stated his reply in a matter-of-fact tone. "I am the sole resident of this parish. I have no helper, whatsoever, except my own. Improvisations on the funeral had to be made."

"Okay, let me guess," the magician took out a Lucky and lighted it with the flame from his Zippo. "You double as the undertaker?"

"That is correct."

"Well, that's cheery."

"If you have no any further business, then I must kindly ask you to leave. More work needs to be done." The priest turned his back on the two and walked away to a nearby shed near the church. He entered and when he emerged outside, he already had a shovel.

Jimmy smirked a little. "C'mon Taro, let's get the fuck out of here."

The man who was called Taro simply nodded, and the two traced their steps away from the grave and the priest. They never saw him lift the coffin with ease, put it on the open grave with a slight thud, and with a quick breath, cover the open ground with soil.

Without any preamble, Taro asked the magician, "So, he's really dead, huh?"

"Well..." Jimmy could not help but raise an eyebrow to his companion's comment. "Yeah. But you know what, it's quite creepy of you. Referring to yourself in the third person, I mean."

"I'm not him anymore. I was born. I died. Lived again. Died again. And lived again."

"One hell of a fucking roller coaster ride, huh?"

"You could say that."

Taro produced a flip-top box of Mild Seven from his jacket, took one, lighted it, and looking at the bleak early afternoon sky, inhaled the deadly nicotine laced vapor. "So, what's the story of that guy?"

"Your story?"

"His story, Jimmy. Don't make it harder for me. I already think this situation of mine totally insane."

Jimmy took another breather from his cigarette. "Well, let me see."

*****

"Urashima Keitaro. What the fuck was up with that guy anyway? Well, Taro, you did ask for a story. So here I fucking go. His father was native Japanese. Worked a lot overseas, barely had time to find a girlfriend. But he did find one and married her. Keitro's mother was a German of Japanese descent. Okay, alright, I know it's fucking lame. Just go with the story, okay?"

"So, they meet up, date up, married up, fucked up, and Urashima Keitaro was born up. Now here's the thing, Keitaro here was an American citizen. Dad and mom, was vacationing in Las Vegas when he popped out of the box."

"Let's fast forward to a few years later. The K-man is eighteen. Then mom and dad figures out in a vehicular accident. They got hit by a speeding truck and the car was thrown off the cliff. The car burst into flames. But it wasn't the fireball that killed them, nope, not at all. You see, they got out before the car went ablaze, and when it did, they found a pack of roasted baby rabbits. Now they didn't have dinner, so they gorged those poor little buggers. Now what they didn't know, that the litter they ate were the cubs of a very vicious vorpal vunny. Of course, the wabbit was pissed, do the math. And that was their story."

"Now, Keitaro here had the benefit of visiting Japan when he was a kid. He visited his grandmother back then a few years ago. So he goes to Japan, land of the rising sun, and decided to become a ninja. But he had no ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, whatever. He was so clumsy he killed one whole village when he was only supposed to kill one guy. So, granny kicks him out and without any options, he becomes a gigolo. On the first day of the job, he tries his luck with a redhead, but that earned him a megaton punch. He flew miles and miles away and landed on a hot spring. Problem was, a lesbian samurai was also bathing. It got bloody. So the redhead suddenly came around, I don't know how, don't ask me, but the samurai and the redhead brought him to this princess. Said princess threw him into an industrial meat grinder where he became Soylent Green and was distributed throughout the world to feed people who didn't really feeding."

"And that is how Urashima Keitaro died. The end."

*****

"Jimmy..."

"A pretty good story, huh? I could win a Pulitzer or Peabody for that."

"Get bent, you son of a bitch."

Jimmy threw his cigarette on the ground and brought a new one. "Lighten up man, for God's sake you're more serious than Charlton Heston when he came down with the Ten Commandments."

"I've been getting calls left and right. Clients here, clients there. Goddammit Jimmy, of all people you could find, a freaking lawyer? What the hell were you thinking?"

"Time was short. Besides, there was a high-schooler in the other room."

"Oh yeah," Taro smirked, letting out his frustrations along with some cigarette smoke. "Who was a freaking girl! Sorry Jimmy, I was born as a guy, died as a guy, and if want to live again, I'd still want to be a guy."

"You got your wish."

That answer made Taro bite his lip. The magician was right. Indeed, he got his wish. Not wanting to delve on that issue on such time, he segued to another. "Alright, fine. This was what I wanted anyway. But seriously, Jimmy. Spare me from those fucked up stories of yours. You know very well, that they would still be looking for me...or rather him."

"The guy we just buried?"

"Yeah."

"Fine. I'll honor that request. It was hard to pull but I managed. The part about your parents? Check. The story I made up was good. Just don't mind the killer rabbit part. Nelson helped me on your American citizenship. The parents were at the American embassy for a visa application, your mom was nine months with you. She scattered on the floor. Instant access to the land of the free and home of the brave. Their accident death, got hit by a truck. The blazing fireball? The truck was carrying gasoline. So I got that one covered. It's only on the last parts that get, well, a little bit tricky."

"What do you mean?" Taro's face was flustered with worry.

"Well, after the funeral you came here. Japan. Granny was already sick and dying, so you took a job to help her. The papers could have a hard time convincing people. You were an American citizen but was totally Japanese. Still, you could be considered as a foreigner. In any case, you managed to land a job. A beef processing plant. After that, it becomes quite easy. You slipped, fell down a meat chopper, and died."

"That's it?"

"I can't go hypnotizing people forever. And the money I used to bribe who needed to be bribed and falsify all those documents? I got that by staring down Yakuza groups. I could have lost my dick or worse. Besides, with that corpse of yours so mangled up, the meat chopper accident was the best I could think of. Now, there you have it, fucking happy?"

"Yeah. But one thing."

"What?"

"You kept connecting me to that guy. You know very well I'm not him...well, not anymore."

Jimmy guffawed, resulting into his cigarette being launched down to the ground. Cursing a little, he took out another one lighted it, savoring the flavor of a newly burned cigarette. "You're thinking that it would be easier if you really forget that man you used to be, huh?"

"Yeah."

With the conversation they had, they failed to notice that they were already near the line that separated the church and the city. And when they did cross it, they stopped talking for a while. They continued walking in silence until they arrived in the city proper. Without any words they decided to have some coffee just outside the coffee shop. They did not mind the noise of the passersby or the vehicles that blared their horns at both pedestrians and fellow drivers alike.

Today was the day that they buried Urashima Keitaro. And try as they might, they could not shake the feeling that they cheated the so called Circle of Life. Jimmy knew that one way or another, someone or something was pissed off when used his powers to bring back to life one that supposed to be dead. On the other side, Taro was worried that the past would relentlessly haunt and eventually catch him.

Amidst the cigarette smoke, the warm and tempting smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the irritating noises that an irritating city could make, they both remembered; they were like two spark plugs that activated on the same time.

Both men, inside their own heads, recollected the events two weeks prior.

*****

"You know," Jimmy mouthed off as he violently chewed on his double cheeseburger, "I never knew you were such a fucking pervert."

Keitaro only murmured in response as he floated low around the floor in order to take a peek under the skirts of some high school girls. "Hey Jimmy!"

"What?"

"About what you said a while ago?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I usually get accused as a pervert back then. When I was still alive. Never true though. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Don't tell me now that you're dead, you're planning to fit that role."

Keitaro's disembodied spirit gave out, something that could be barely called, a low laugh. "Why not?"

"Suit yourself then, Taro." Jimmy turned his attention again to the cheeseburger. It was large one, so large that three people could have split it amongst themselves. But the magician was determined to finish the combination of beef and bread on his own. Never mind the fact, that beside him was his bag that contained a very frightening object. His bag was a simple black sports bag where one could put something as long as tennis racket or several swimsuits without the zipper exploding from the stress. But such things were not inside that bag.

What was inside was the severed left arm of one Urashima Keitaro; injected with healthy amounts of formaldehyde and contained in an air-tight resealable plastic bag. But that was the least of what made it disturbing. The limb in question had numerous post-mortem carvings; letters of ancient times and arcane symbols. They were done by stripping off some skin from the flesh, akin to a peeled fruit. Though it was also sickening for the magician to eat his food while bringing along a torn limb, he knew it was necessary. If the soul of Urashima Keitaro was a ship, then the desecrated arm undoubtedly served as the anchor; in order for Keitaro not to move on to the afterlife.

"Hey Jimmy! Take a look at this!" Keitaro's excited, yet ghostly, voice disturbed the magician's brooding.

Between chewing and swallowing, Jimmy shot back. "What now?"

"These three girls got something in common. You better take a look."

And so the magician did take a look. But found himself snarling at what it seemed to the specter's untruthfulness. There were three girls alright. But except for the fact that they all seemed to be in high school, there was nothing in common in them at all. One girl sported a short blond hair and wore a different uniform. The other two seemed to be in the same school and both had long brown hair. However, the taller of the two wore a single ponytail, while the shorter girl's mane was free of any accessories.

"Look Taro, you're already dead. But that doesn't mean that your powers of observation would get any worse. It should be actually better."

"Actually," Keitaro evilly grinned. "It is! They have one thing in common Jimmy. It's their design theme."

"And that would be?"

"STRAWBERRY PANTIES!" The deceased former kanrinin of Hinata Inn violently circled the whole fast-food chain. No one was disturbed or hurt by his antics, after all, he just passed right through the people or the objects he collided with. But there were exceptions. Some people who were a little bit sensitive to the supernatural could have sworn that a torrent of perverted glee permeated the whole place.

Jimmy had a vague idea of what was to come next.

Keitaro's head suddenly popped halfway through the magician's food tray; still wearing a perverted look with a vengeance. "Hey Jimmy, maybe you could show me some of your magic?"

"And that would be?"

"Remember when you pulled out a coin out of my ear?"

"Let me guess," the magician painfully groaned. "You want their underwear?"

"Your such a good friend!" Keitaro was now out of the table and into the air, dancing a pathetic solo version of the tango.

For his part, Jimmy could only smirk as he put down the cheeseburger and went on with the request. Shaping his right hand into an improvised cylinder, he breathed hard as he inserted his fingers from his left hand; he looked like the usual stage performer who always pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Only this time, no furry rodent came out. Instead, the first object he pulled out was a pair of pink cotton panties, and just what Keitaro had said, it had a strawberry design; in fact, it was littered with numerous tiny strawberry drawings. After pulling that one out, he did the same again. This time, it was a yellow bikini type; it only had two strawberries, one on the front the other on the back. When the third line of underwear magically surfaced on his fingers, Jimmy was not even surprised. The last one spelled "strawberry" all over, even though it did not have any drawings at all. Rather, the design of the cloth itself mimicked that of the innocent fruit; complete from the seed like protrusions to the green leaves.

"There," the magician unenthusiastically threw the intimate apparels on one side of the table. "Happy now?"

"Oh yeah," the specter drooled. "Pity though, I'll never get to touch them."

"I like you better when you were alive."

"Hey I'm just making the best of my situation here."

"Fuck me sideways." Jimmy quickly snapped his fingers in frustration. As soon as the sound emitted from the violent friction of his fingers, a sudden gust of unnatural wind enveloped the premises. Needless to say, the skirts went up and revealed that the girls were lacking the garments that protect modesty.

Pandemonium.

Keitaro, several male patrons, and even the male employees had a collective nosebleed. Jimmy, being the bastard that he was, indiscriminately threw the intimate articles. And as if by magic, it all landed on the heads of some unsuspecting customers.

Hell on earth.

With the three pair of panties out of Jimmy's magical influence, they immediately became noticeable. Management had to call the police and with the quick response time of Hinata's finest, several "invitations" to the precinct were made. If Urashima Keitaro could only die for a second time, perhaps that could have been a possibility; the disembodied soul was laughing so hard that an ordinary person laughing in such a way would have suffered from spontaneous combustion.

All of these things were of no concern for the magician. He just finished his cheeseburger and downed the diet cola he ordered. With his meal done for, he then took a black book that was beside Keitaro's severed arm from inside the black sports bag. Said book was thick in nature and the leaves were definitely old. Flipping and scanning the pages, Jimmy found the thing he was looking for. On that page, numerous arcane texts from an undecipherable language filled the paper. There was also a diagram; a crude drawing of two men. One was lying on a slab of stone, the other floating in the air; facing the former.

"Soul Transfer." Jimmy darkly muttered under his breath.

Closing the book with a violent thud, he put in inside the bag and stood up; ready to leave and ready to finish whatever it was that he began.

"Whoa! Whoa! Jimmy, what the hell are you doing? The fun just started! Where are we going anyway?" Any further protestations were in vain. Keitaro's soul was painfully dragged along to where the magician was going. After all, the deceased former ronin was bound to the severed arm, and that arm was under Jimmy's control.

*****

With no visible legs to speak of, Keitaro floated alongside with Jimmy who was taking his time in walking around the fluorescent bulb lighted hallways of Hinata General Hospital. Though a public hospital in nature, it was a first class medical establishment. Pristine white paint, onyx vinyl tiles, an air conditioning system that was neither too hot nor too cold; all thanks to the healthy helpings of taxpayer money.

Despite that, the security seemed to be wanting. But that could have been understandable. Jimmy was a magician, and anyone asking him what his business was would have been easily hypnotized, or in this particular case, asleep.

"Did you really have to that?" Keitaro was looking left and right, making sure that no one was following them. "I mean, what if some patient on another wing needed some attention?"

"Relax. This floor is specifically for the use of comatose patients. It's not as if somebody is going to get a heart attack or something."

"Well, you're the boss here Jimmy."

"Yeah, yeah." the magician took care not to step on the sleeping doctors and nurses. When the two of them arrived in front of a door that seemed to belong to a rich patient, Jimmy signaled Keitaro to stop.

"Is this it?"

"Just one of your choices Taro. There's another one two rooms ahead."

"Okay," the specter felt uneasy at Jimmy's attitude. "You said this floor houses comatose patients, right? But that doesn't mean that they're dead. They could still be alive."

"I know." Jimmy took out a Lucky and proceeded with his guilty pleasure.

"You shouldn't be really smoking inside this place. It's practically forbidden."

"Looks like you never got to go a hospital that allows smoking inside, did you? Well, in any case, this one is dead. So is your other option."

"Dead?"

"Brain dead. That's why I told you that you only got two options. Some of the patients here got a strong will to live. Their souls have not yet moved on, knowing full well that they're still alive. Those two I mentioned, however, got no souls to speak of. Flesh is willing but the spirit is weak, or rather, moved on."

"Are you sure?"

"Goddamn sure of it."

"Well, what's so special about this one then?"

"Nothing much really. It's just that when I got hold of their records, I thought that maybe you should have a choice. This one," Jimmy pointed at the door. "Still in high school. The other is already a lawyer."

"So that's the only difference?"

"You idiot," Jimmy inhaled the deadly vapor in frustration. "Try thinking two steps ahead, will you. You live again, but then you can't live anymore as the old you. As Urashima Keitaro, that is. Whether you like it or not you have to take the identity of the body you are going to use. You think you can handle the responsibilities and pressures of a lawyer? Or would you rather have another sweet sixteen moment?"

Keitaro's eyes lighted up with understanding. "Of course, that makes sense." Throwing caution to the wind, he boldly declared, "Then, I guess living as a high-schooler for the second time around won't be that bad."

"Only one catch."

"You gonna have a hard time doing the magic?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"She's a girl."

For a brief moment, the deceased kanrinin could have sworn that the Earth stood still. "Would you kindly repeat that?"

"She's a girl. That high-schooler I was talking about."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, if it's finances, you don't have to worry that much. She's not really rich, just your typical middle class. Dad is you everyday salaryman while mom has a flower shop just a few blocks away from their house. Both parents make good income. I'm guessing that you can't buy Victoria's Secret lingerie or Gucci bags, but I think you'll manage."

"That makes sense." the ghost of Hinata Inn's past muttered weakly.

"Also, I think I better tell you this. She's not a virgin anymore. Okay, the medical report said that, not me. I didn't touch her in anyway. But I think you'll do fine. She just broke up with the boyfriend. So I'm guessing that you wouldn't be having troubles about sex."

This time, Keitaro remained silent.

Jimmy, because he was a total bastard, decided to fill the voiceless gap. "For now. She's basically treated as some sort of pop idol. The boys usually report to the clinic due to blood loss. But if you don't want that, well, here's some consolation. Even the girls want her."

Nothing could have prepared the magician from the ghost's reaction.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? A GIRL? YOU WANT TO ME BECOME A GIRL?"

"Calm the fuck down, your voice is too loud."

"As if anybody could hear me."

"I do."

"Is this your fucking idea of a joke? You know that I really want to live again!"

"I was just giving you a choice." Jimmy crushed the spent cigarette and took out another one. "Besides, how would I know that you won't like the idea of becoming a carpet licker or a beaver smasher."

"A what?"

"Never mind."

"So I'm guessing that you're one hundred percent on the lawyer then?"

"Does it look like that I have a choice?"

"Yeah, you do." the magician's thump pointed towards the door.

"Get bent."

"No can do, Taro."

With the minor debate settled, the man and the spirit continued their trek along the halls. Stopping only to read the room number, and once sure that they have the correct one, they walked in without any further fanfare. Once inside, the magician quickly locked the door, he also closed the curtains; leaving the room to be only bathed with electric light. Zipping the sports bag open, he took out two plastic pouches: one contained a reddish powder of sorts and the other was simple table salt. Jimmy tore the one the contained the salt and walked towards the door. He then poured it on the floor, making a line across the wooden portal. The window panes came next. With those things done, he pulled out the book and opened it to the page that he was reading back in the fast-food chain.

While the magician was busy with his arcane preparations, Keitaro floated around the comatose patient. Somehow, he could have sworn that he knew the man on the bed. Keitaro had to admit that the lawyer was quite good-looking and pretty young, probably in his mid-twenties. And even though the face hinted some familiarity, the long uncut hair that was covering most of his facial features made him a stranger. Though his interest was piqued, Keitaro shook it off. What he was concerned right now was the idea that he will become this lawyer, and everything that he was in the past would have to go.

Jimmy looked to and fro from the floor to the book. A sense of doubt crept up his spine. This was the first that he would be doing this spell. What was worse, was that the idea came to his mind when he remembered a past case of a woman who sold her soul to a demon and when the time came when she had to cough it up, transferred it to another body in order to escape damnation. But there was no use in remembering it now. He tore the pouch that contained the reddish powder and pouted it on the floor.

"What's that?" Keitaro asked, seemingly confused at the magician's use of such a thing. Recent memory reminded the spirit that he only saw the magician carry two kinds powders: salt and sulfur. It was his first time seeing Jimmy use the red powder.

"Simple classroom chalk."

"Really now? Why is it red?"

"I grounded it with a virgin's blood."

"You had a hard time?"

"Totally. Now, shut up for a second. I need to concentrate." With all of the red chalk out of the pouch and onto the floor, Jimmy stared hard at the drawing on the book. Said sketch was insanely occult in nature. There was a circle and inside that was another circle. In the empty space between the two, three names were written in the Latin alphabet: Barbas, Morax, and Haagenti. If one had more knowledge, they would recognized that those names belonged to three of the seventy-two demons of Goetia. Inside the smaller circle, was a pentagram and in the empty spaces that surrounded the star, were the alchemical symbols of earth, water, fire, air, and the human spirit.

After what would passed for a lifetime, Jimmy stopped his one-sided glaring contest with the sketch. Closing the book with a satisfied smirk on his face, he looked on the floor and saw that the chalk was now under the bed and resembled the drawing on the book.

"Taro," the magician nearly barked out with his throat. "Go float around the body. Well in front of it actually, as if you're gonna sleep on you stomach."

Keitaro wordlessly complied with Jimmy's order. Still, when he saw the face of the man he was going to be, he could not help but point it out. "Hey Jimmy."

"What the fuck is it now?"

"I just can't help it. Seems like I know this guy."

"Well, he's dead. His soul has gone to some other place. That body you're looking at is just an empty shell. Kept alive with an overdose of sugar-water and medical blow jobs. Any more questions?"

"No."

"Good. Now just keep floating while facing him and stay put." Jimmy walked towards the light switch and turned them off. When his eyes finally adjusted to the dark, the magician walked again near the bed and took a deep breath.

"Now, for the final catalyst." Jimmy took of his jacket and tossed it on the floor. He then proceeded to roll up the sleeves of his short. Sweat formed around his head even though the cooler was not broken; it was not the heat, it was the pressure of the act that he was to do that made him bleed with saltwater.

Quickly reaching inside his pockets, Jimmy pulled out a jackknife, flicked the blade open, and without any hesitations, slashed his right wrist. Though he tried hard not to scream, he failed to stop himself from giving out a pained whimper.

"JIMMY? WHAT THE HELL?"

"Stay put goddammit! Don't mind me!"

Placing the blade on his shaking right hand, Jimmy breathed deep once more, and gave his left wrist the same treatment. Blood poured out slowly, but not for long. The magician knew that once he begins the chant, his body might become dangerously deprived of plasma. Basic knowledge of anatomy reminded him that the human body contains approximately five liters of blood; just enough to fill three to four large cola PET bottles. And he fails to concentrate, he will be in a considerable world of danger.

Nonetheless, he took the risk and began to chant.

Keitaro was worried for Jimmy. Seeing a grown man slash both of his wrists was not something he saw everyday when was still alive. But that did not mean he wanted to see such things. Still, he complied with Jimmy's command and literally stayed still. Not even bothering to look at the magician whose face was becoming pale due to the blood loss.

As with the progress of the spell, it seemed to be working. The dark room was slowly filled with a very unholy green light, furniture and the other embellishments were rattled by an invisible force, and the ground began to shake even though earthquake season was far off.

Jimmy's eyes were beginning to whiten. His voice was firm, but a small trace of shakiness was present. With his knees buckling, it seemed that the cheeseburger meal he had a while ago did not give him much energy. But he soldiered on.

Keitaro felt an immense pull. One that made him feel alive again. He tried looking for the source, and found out that it was the body on the bed. Fear gripped him all over. Jimmy had been deadly silent and secretive of whatever method he was going to use. And the ghost who wanted to live again was not pleased. Still, Jimmy was the only he could trust and rely on. So despite the growing doubts, Keitaro did not even entertain the idea of bolting out of the room.

One final word came out of the magician's lips. Suddenly, a surge of green light enveloped the comatose patient. Keitaro saw that and still stayed his ground, but he was totally unprepared for the tentacle-shaped mist to suddenly grab him and pull him inside the brain-dead man.

Darkness. Total darkness.

"Tell me it worked."

It was Jimmy. He was sure that it was the magician speaking. But the way he heard the voice made him think. It was like the way he heard things before. When he was still alive.

"Goddammit, you might want to talk. Did it work?"

Though his eyes were closed, he felt the stinging sensation of the flickering fluorescent lamp. He opened his eyes, got up in a sitting position, and saw the magician with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Taro." Jimmy let out a stifled groan as he saw down. He was pale and breathing hard from the lack of blood.

Sensing that Jimmy was in danger, he leaped out of bed and carried him by the shoulder. "We need to get you to a doctor."

"Get me to the stairs. If I recall, we're on the fourth floor. Get me to the door that connects to the third. I need to break the spell, so I can wake the staff here."

"I can carry you you know." But that was proven incorrect. His body felt stiff and weak. It was not his old body anymore. The one that was used to pain and schooled in martial arts. An ordinary body. An everyman's build. That was the time when he realized that he was no longer Urashima Keitaro.

"Hurry..." Jimmy's weak voice implored.

Gritting his teeth, he pulled the magician and his own weight together. It was an uphill battle, even though the stairs was just a few seconds away. But they were in luck. They managed to reach it in time.

"SORRY!" he yelped when he accidentally dropped Jimmy on the ground.

"Don't be. It's expected. That was a comatose patient. Hell, you might even got entropy or something." Jimmy crawled towards the door and saw a familiar symbol; the same one he used to lullaby a police station. Taking a short breath, he exhaled on the dried cake of blood. Little by little, it was peeled of like an old decal from a shirt.

With the magic ended, one by one the sleepers awoke.

A scream was heard. Followed by frantic orders to get a doctor and some orderlies to carry a new patient. Expected, since there was a man, pale in color, with both wrists slashed off and bleeding to certain death.

"You think you're gonna be okay Taro?" Jimmy asked.

"You keep calling me that. But I'm not Keitaro anymore. I know it. I feel it. I'm not me anymore."

"Better to call you Taro than any other expletive." Jimmy was about to say more but was cut off by the two orderlies who lifted him up into the floor. "I'll be fine." the magician muttered as he was whisked away.

He could only smile a little at Jimmy's assurance. He walked around to the nurse's station and he could not help looking at the mirror there. His features were totally alien to him. His hair, his eyes, the shape of his nose and lips, they did not belong to Urashima Keitaro. Before he could despair on his crisis of identity, a doctor showed up. The man of medicine introduced himself as the resident who was monitoring his case. The usual medical questions and answers followed, and any further self inquiry was postponed.

*****

"Are you worried?" Jimmy asked while sipping his coffee.

"I'm even paranoid of my own shadow. Everyday I'm learning something about the I am supposed to be. At the same time, I try to forget the man who I once was. But I can't."

"But both memories," the magician put down his cup as he lighted a Lucky. "You can remember them both fine? No headaches, no confusions, no nothing?"

"I can remember perfectly. I remember Keitaro's childhood in his family bakery. His promise in the sandbox. The frustration of failing two times and being kicked out by the parents. The day he arrived in his grandmother's inn. The time spent there. The fun that he had, the love he had, the pain he endured, I remember. I remember them all. All of it, I remember."

Jimmy took inhaled a little from his Lucky, savoring the taste that he always found best. "Whether you like it or not, you are Urashima Keitaro. Your soul rightfully bears that name. Your identity right now is nothing but a cover. You live his life but you are not him. You don't have to repeat his mistakes, adopt his personality, or whatever. You can be your own."

"Jimmy," Taro lighted his own cigarette and took a sip from his coffee. "All I have to do is to 'will' what memory I like to remember. This lawyer's childhood? Pampered since birth. He got all the toys he asked for. He's smart. Took the university exams the first time and passed it, same with the bar. Women literally throw themselves at his feet. Who wouldn't want his life? When I remember his memory, the emotions he felt during those times, I feel great. Granted it's not my true memories. But it makes me happy."

"And you never bothered to dig a little bit deeper. Like how 'your father' underwent three divorces because all the women he married were gold diggers. Even 'your own biological mother'. Never mind the fact that the fourth wife was done for convenience. To acquire a large share of stocks from an enemy corporation. And all those flying colors in the academe? Please, he is bright but not that smart. Pretty average guy, really. But letters to certain people along with some 'donations' could help a lot. The women? High class escort girls. The girlfriends were no better. Ravenous wolves after your bank account."

"You gave me no choice Jimmy!"

"I did."

"How the hell am I suppose to live as a girl?"

"That would have been your problem."

"Well if you just took more time---"

"Time was a luxury I didn't have back then. If you had stayed disembodied for so long, even the binding would've failed. An earthbound spirit. That's what you would've been. Trapped in this life when you should have passed on."

"Yeah. I remembered the way you mutilated my arm."

Jimmy had a victorious snicker at Taro's slip of tongue.

"What I meant was, his arm. Keitaro's arm."

"Why are you so adamant in being happy that way? Be honest. Deep inside, you know that you're just borrowing his memories. It was never your to begin with. The Witch of Dimensions just made sure it wouldn't conflict with the true ones."

"Jimmy, I hope you remember what was the price for that..."

Hearing the word "price" made the magician's face crumble. Indeed, the two of them cheated death. But that did not mean that there were no consequences.

"I'm sorry."

Taro looked at Jimmy and saw that his face was etched with regret. "Don't be. You tried your best. I'm alive. That's what matters the most."

"With what kind of life?" Jimmy's question came out with dense cigarette smoke. "Come to think of it, even if we took the other route, it would've ended the same. You being plagued with memories. Memories so innate to the original owner's body, that even my magic would be useless."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Jimmy. Like I said, Yuko did her best. I can remember what I want to remember without any problems."

"But at what price, Taro? I was wrong to admonish you in trying to live that way."

Taro crushed the spent cigarette and downed his cup of coffee. He ordered for another while lighting a new stick. "No, you had a point. I should live my life to the fullest. It's a cliché, but is suits my situation. But not the way I'm doing it right now."

Jimmy finished his own cup and when asked by the server if he wanted more, politely declined. He simply settled with another cancer stick. "Whatever way you look at it, I failed you."

"Yeah. But that's the small details. I lived again. Not perfect. But then again, nothing is."

Cigarette smoke swam in the air around the men. Once again, they remembered.

*****

"Dammit. If I just had more time, I could've prevented this." Jimmy's voice was filled with uncertainty. It had been two days since he transferred Keitaro's soul to a new body. He was already prepared to leave Japan, if it was not for a desperate call from the young man.

Desperate since it was the police that tracked him down. At first he thought it would be about his presence on several crime scenes a week before. If it was only magic, then he could have easily wormed his way through. But it was a different case when it comes to the men with the badge. His magic could only work so much.

"It's getting worse Jimmy," The young man was in undeniable pain. His face was contorted to the point of death.

"I never knew. Dammit, I never knew. The food binging you did was expected. You just woke up from a coma. But these migraines, are you sure that the medicine has no effect?"

"I told you," Another pained groan assailed the air. "It's not just a migraine. I see flashbacks. Lots of them. I can't tell which one is mine or his. I'm getting confused all the time."

Jimmy briskly walked towards the door and made sure that it was locked. "Are you sure no people would be coming to visit?"

"I'm the son of the big boss. People listen when I talk. Besides, I got an intercom if I need anything."

"Not to mention the fucking resources." Jimmy decided to have a smoke inside the posh room he was in. "Calling the cops to bring me to the hospital. That was fucked up. Nearly gave me a heart attack."

"You're the only one I know that I can trust."

"Yeah. Okay, try to relax. Jumping in your head might not me much of a problem. Let me see if I can fix it."

"Whatever you say Jimmy."

Grabbing a chair, the magician sat down on it and grabbed another cigarette stick from his pack. Holding the young man's hair in order for him to get a clear view of the forehead, he muttered darkly before he impaled the cancer stick on the ailing man's skull.

Jimmy never expected what would happen next.

A strong torrent of mental energy made the magician fly towards the door. The wooden portal was undamaged in any way, but Jimmy was another matter.

"The fuck?" This time, Jimmy did not even bother to use a cigarette. He charged forward with his fingers. Only for the same thing to happen once more, when he activated his magic.

"Jimmy, what the hell is wrong with you?"

The magician crossed his arms as he stood near the bed, trying to think hard of a plan. "I wish I knew, Taro. This doesn't happen to me. Never did. Something is wrong. As in fucked up wrong."

"Indeed." two voices agreed in unison.

Both men were surprised at the arrival of the uninvited guests: Ichihara Yuko and Meio Setsuna.

"Oh fuck," Jimmy mouthed off at the sight of the two. "With you being here, it tells me that I really screwed up."

Yuko smiled and walked closer to the two men. "Have you forgotten my request Jimmy?"

"No, I didn't. But it's hard not to cuss around if you're being stared down by two powerful individuals."

"Then please, honor my request."

"We have come here," Setsuna interjected, "For a good reason. Not only did you not do what was expected of you. But you decided to cheat life and death itself."

"With a very taboo spell, notwithstanding." Yuko added.

"Oh," Jimmy tried to put up a brave front. This was not the time to be shaky. "Let me give you a 'when' and 'who'. Five years ago. Kitami Reika."

At hearing the name, both women's faces seemed to have gained a disdainful expression. This did not go unnoticed to Jimmy, who then decided to hammer his point across. "Rings a bell? You know, school nurse, blond hair, blue eyes, and got a thing for purple nails and panties if I recall. Oh wait, the real zinger. She suddenly grows a freaking nine each cock out of her beaver. Ring a bell? I could go on."

"You vulgar magus!" Setsuna's voice was so called that Jimmy and Taro were chilled. "You dare imitate a supplicant of the Black Bible?"

"I modified it Guardian. Or else I would've slit a poor girl's throat. Look, no one was harmed with that spell. Except for me who nearly died because of the blood loss. Let it go."

"As if we can turn a blind eye---"

Jimmy's temper flared at what he perceived as a holier-than-though attitude from Setsuna. "And what the hell are you gonna do? Like the last time, you're too late. That past case was worse! That Kitami woman is alive and well in another person's body. She escaped damnation and an innocent took her place! And you did nothing! You're the freaking Guardian of Time and Space, and you couldn't press the pause button when it's really needed!"

Sailor Pluto responded in kind. "Do not lecture me of my duties, you...you..." she needed to find the right word. "You insufferable bastard! There are laws to be obeyed. Kitami Reika's transgression did not concern my duties, neither was it in my jurisdiction. Urashima Keitaro, however---"

"Tell you what," If Setsuna's enraged face was at an arctic temperature level and going lower, Jimmy was three-hundred kelvin and rising. "That Kitami woman? She had a thing for the ass. Loves anal and definitely loves to give anal. Ever had one, Guardian? Because believe me, the way you're being such a stuck-up, it's as if you got something wedged between your cheeks!"

Setsuna wordlessly responded by summoning the Garnet Rod. Light from the Underworld illuminated her form; a sign of immense power.

"Mind you," Jimmy lighted a cigarette to calm himself down. "I won't go down without a fight." One of his hands took out a pouch of sulfur. There was no need for him to shout, he simply willed it, and his hand became a blazing gauntlet of infernal flame.

Yuko had enough of the pointless banter she was hearing, much more, the unspoken threats that would soon become promises. "Cease this madness, the two of you," she turned to Setsuna and implored of her. "This might be too much to ask Guardian, but ignore his insult. Such filth from his lips are not worthy of your righteous temper."

With that line of reasoning, the Guardian conceded and unsummoned her weapon. "Very well then, after all, Time has now moved on. Especially for you, Witch of Dimensions."

A small understanding smile crept on Yuko's porcelain face. Jimmy, feeling that the threat was over, decided that his hellfire was not needed any longer. But something in his gut told him to ask. "Time has what? Is this why you came here? What's this gotta to do with Taro?"

"Nothing," Yuko calmly responded. "What the Guardian mentioned was solely meant for me."

"That would be?"

"Your curiosity need not be sated magus. As much as I loathe to say this, though I totally detest what you did in order for your friend to return to this world, it is not my duty to exact punishment. But your day will come."

Jimmy turned to the witch for some clarification. "You're the better talker."

"All I can tell Jimmy, is that I am here to grant a wish to the man beside you."

"What?" the magician knew better. All of the her wish granting requires a terrible price to pay. "Then what's up with the Guardian being here then?"

"Jimmy," Yuko's face was a slave to an unseen pain, nonetheless, her serene features did not crack. "The Guardian is with me for as she said, Time has move on for me. You know this very well, Time is jurisdiction." The magician's face was still confused and still wanted to ask, but Yuko answered ahead. "Remember who you are, and how secure you feel in not knowing."

Though perplexed, Jimmy relented. "Alright then, telling you to stop is pointless. Even though I need help, I'd never ask it from you." He turned to Taro and counseled him. "You're going to make a really big judgment call here. Hope you do it right."

"Well, it seems I was remembered." Taro still managed to fool around despite the pain in his head. "What does she wan anyway?"

"No, Urashima Keitaro. It is you, that needs something from me."

"Look, I'm not Urashima Keitaro."

"But you are, now matter how much you deny it from yourself. That is your name."

"All I have is a headache," Taro clenched his teeth as the migraine drilled inside his skull. "You have something for that?"

"What you experience is no ordinary ailment. You see, one component for the spell that Jimmy used was a virginal soul to be sacrificed."

Confusion, wonder, and a little of mirth and irritation filled the room. Setsuna, for all of her ice queen characteristics, had a small smile that was out of character. Jimmy on the other hand, balled his fists and began tapping his foot; as if saying to make quick of the affair.

"No doubt, a virgin's blood was used---"

Jimmy just had to interrupt. "Celibate, alright? It's celibate." He mumbled something more under as he breath as he caught the Guardian's smile getting wider.

"As you wish Jimmy," Yuko did not mind the rude gesture and continued what she was saying. "Celibate blood was used, but that was not enough. A soul was needed for the exchange, but the vessel used had none. Thus, it was only a partial success."

"What's that got to do with the headaches then?" Taro asked.

"Simply put, that was the failure. The mind is a holder of memories, but the mind has a physical manifestation in the brain, and that organ resides in the body. When your soul took over, your memories conflicted with that of the vessel."

"Then what can you do?"

"I can arrange them for you. But know this and understand it well Urashima Keitaro, there is a price."

"How much?"

"I have no need for money. But let me tell you what will I do. It would be inconvenient for you not to have the vessel's memory. You have a need for it in order you to have a smooth life. However, I also feel that you have no desire to forget who you truly are, and that would make the price for your wish a heavy one."

"I don't care, if I need both memories, then do it."

Yuko's eyes stayed passive. "Very well, I shall mend the tears in your memory and at the same time, bestow upon you an ability, though not impressive, which is an absolute necessity."

"Okay."

"Then hear the price," Yuko's voice rolled like a distant tornado. "For the twenty-two years that you have lived in your former body, seventeen of them was gifted with immortality. You have made a promise at the age of five, but you recanted, the reason why you died. What I ask in return for my service is not simple. For the price is the knowledge of your passing."

"The knowledge of my passing?" Taro was totally confused, Jimmy restrained himself from talking, and Setsuna's features returned to her neutral look.

"Yes." Her voice a frightening tone of truthfulness. "The passing of the vessel you have was supposed to be at seventy-four years. Yet you cheated death for countless times because of the promise, and once again, you escaped the cold grasp of the inevitable. For this, the price I ask is seventeen years subtracted from seventy-four."

Jimmy failed to contain himself any longer. "Are you saying that he's gonna get a faster expiration date? Look Yuko, we human beings know that we're gonna bite the dust one day, but nobody wants to know when!"

"Silence yourself Sorcerer," Setsuna held the Garnet Rod just below Jimmy's neck. "For you to know such things, you should know better. What is dead, is supposed to stay dead. You do not have the high ground to speak such things."

With this admonishment, Jimmy decided to behave and leaved the rest to the young man.

"Urashima Keitaro," Yuko asked the sole, ordinary mortal in the room. "Do you agree by my terms?"

He looked at Jimmy, but found no answer. For the magician's eyes simply told him to decide for himself. And so he did. "Very well."

Ichihara Yuko walked closer, when she reached him within arm's length, the Witch of Dimensions placed her palms on the young man's forehead. He flinched, expecting pain, but there was none. Unlike Jimmy's magic where drills were commonplace, Yuko's power was warm and soothing. It only lasted for a few seconds, then the serene atmosphere vanished.

"I have done what you asked. May you live you life to its fullest, Urashima Keitaro."

"Perhaps this is not the last time we will meet Sorcerer. For your sake, hope that it would be cordial."

"Feeling is mutual. I wouldn't want to see you even if you're the last woman alive, Guardian."

A weak flash of light enveloped the room and then the women were gone.

Jimmy took out a cigarette and lighted it up. He walked towards the wisher and asked, "Feeling better?"

"Yes. But the way you look at me, it's as if I made a deal with the devil."

"Perhaps you did."

*****

Taro ordered for another cup of coffee as he crushed the spent Mild Seven on the ashtray. Looking at the magician, he felt a little irritated at the sour face he was wearing. "Stop torturing yourself."

"Fifty-seven is a little bit early to get off, don't you think?"

"I can't do anything about it. Besides, Yuko was right in saying that I cheated life and death so many times. Looks like it finally caught up with me."

"And the only thing you're worried about now is the past?" Jimmy shifted on his seat as he tried to gauge the reaction of the younger man in front of him.

"Even though I remember, I don't want them to be near. I might be tempted to come back, and in the process, hurt myself a lot more. I have to stop being such a masochist."

"That's good to hear." Jimmy tried to look for another cigarette but found out that he was empty. Taro offered him some of his, and the magician gratefully accepted. Between the smoke, Jimmy voiced out his opinion. "It just bugs me, really. We came to this world without our consent, and we'll be soon leaving the same way. But the things with you, is that you know when you're gonna go."

"Isn't it the same with a cancer patient? Or a death row convict? They're also given the dates of their death."

"True, can't argue with you on that one. But sometimes, a convict could get a pardon. And cancer patients usually live longer or shorter than the doctor's approximation."

"Looks like I'm a special case then."

"And you don't despair on that?"

"No Jimmy, I don't despair. Back then, I can say that I took this life of mine for granted. After all, I was immortal. Now, I'm a ticking time bomb. I have no time for disbelief, with all the things I saw for the past week, there's nothing I couldn't believe in anymore. No use to get angry either, it was my decision to make that wish out of Yuko."

"You can accept the fact that you only have, around what? Twenty years to live?"

Taro corrected the magician. "Thirty. I checked the age of my new body, he's already twenty-seven."

"I told you that you that we should have gone for the high school girl."

A small peal of laughter erupted from the younger man. "So I can live longer since she's younger? No thanks Jimmy. I don't think I can take high school again, much more, be a girl. Besides, I had twenty-two years worth of experience, that would be cheating...again. I'm satisfied with this, there's no need to ask for another bargain."

Jimmy looked defeated in his attempt to put some melancholy on his companion. "Seems to be you're being your old self again."

"Meaning?"

"Being so goddamn optimistic."

"With only thirty years to live and ticking, there's no time for me to depressed. This hand of cards I'd been dealt with? I can accept them wholeheartedly."

Jimmy smiled and in that moment, Taro knew that the magician was now beginning the unnecessary burden he placed on himself. "Tell you what, I got one last story for you."

The younger man smiled. He never told Jimmy, but he always appreciated his stories, no matter how depressing or offensive they might be. "Once upon a time..."

*****

"There was a young man. His father and his father's father, well all the men in his family were soldiers. So, out of this tradition, he became a soldier too. Now this guy was a little superstitious. He always carried a rifle bullet necklace. A good luck charm of sorts for a soldier."

"Long story short, he joined a war. He fought in may battles, bagging a decent body count. If that could called decent in anyway. But one time, his squad was ambushed while they were on patrol. His mates got mowed down quickly but he managed to escape. Fighting the enemy had never been so tough for hims since that day. Since he was alone."

"He lost of course, he was only one man against many. Two magazines of extra ammunition could go a long way, but not if you're against ten or twenty guys with the same rifles. He was almost tempted to use his lucky charm as a bullet. It could fit the chamber of his rifle, but he never did. Instead, he made a bayonet charge towards the enemy. I don't have to elaborate what happened next."

*****

"As usual," Taro smiled wryly when the magician finally finished the story. "I'm going to have a hard time getting the lesson. But let me try for once, if the guy never became a soldier, then he would've never been in that situation. Right? Are you telling me that just because I'm a lawyer now, that doesn't mean that I should be one?"

"You're getting smarter," Jimmy's praised his companion. "But you didn't get the story. It wasn't about the soldier."

"What's it about then?" Taro asked, obviously confused.

"It was about the bullet."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No I'm not. You see, a bullet has a definite purpose. Once it's made, it's expected to be chambered in a gun and fired. But that particular bullet never had that opportunity. Instead, it became a necklace, a good luck charm. But what you said was right. You should never be someone because it seems to be dictated by the things around you. Choice, my dear Taro, is something that we have as human beings. Though the bullet never became what it was supposed to be, it did not have a choice. Its status was dictated by the young man. You're no rifle ammunition kid, you're you, a human being. You've got this thing called choice."

Taro bit his lip for a second seemingly perplexed. At surface level, the story was pathetic. But digging a little bit deeper revealed a very complex philosophical lesson. "Quite ironic. The guy who had a choice became a soldier because it was expected of him. But the bullet that did not have the same luxury of choosing what to be, became something else."

With this exposition, Jimmy stood up and looked at the sky. "It's getting dark. Time for me to go."

"Go where Jimmy?"

"Away from here. Away from you." the magician gave him a satisfied smile. "With you being able to point out that irony, it seems you'd be fine by yourself."

Taro stood up, it was evident that he wanted Jimmy to stay a little bit longer. "Do you really have to leave?"

"Yes. After all, I'm a magician. I travel around the world for adventure. This adventure has ended. So it's time for me to pack up and look for another."

"Good luck on your travels, Jimmy."

"Thanks," Jimmy extended his hand towards the younger man. "I guess this is Sayonara, Taro."

Knowing that it was futile to argue, Taro took the magician's hand and shook it tightly. "Well, yeah, I guess this is it. Sayonara, Jimmy."

Breaking the handshake, the magician nodded at him and began to walk away. Jimmy did not vanish in an instant, nor was there any fancy lights that took him away. It was just like the first time they met at McGinty's; nobody seemed to notice the nondescript middle-age man in a gray suit. Slowly and surely, Jimmy mixed with the other pedestrians and in a slow and agonizing moment, was consumed by the maddening crowd.

Taro slowly sat down. Hard as he might, he could not deny that he was sad that the man he treated as friend was gone. What made it more painful for him, was despite all the help he received, he never managed to call him with that word—friend. But he banished those thoughts, he knew Jimmy would have been pissed off at this kind of attitude. He looked up at the sky, and true to what the magician said, it was getting dark.

After paying the bill, Taro decided to walk around. He was in no hurry to meet any clients today. That was why he told the secretary to slash all the appointments. And with the funeral of Urashima Keitaro, his old self, just gave him the perfect excuse.

Passing by a novelty shop, he saw numerous trinkets that echoed of his past. They were like ancient artifacts, "like" since those baubles were actually locally made and had a price tag on them, a telltale sign of an imitation. Nonetheless, it stirred a passion he thought was already buried under all the things he went through.

Grabbing his cellphone, he punched in an office number. When the other line picked up, he did not even give the secretary the time to give out the usual courtesies. "Satonaka-san, tell my father I'm going to quit being a lawyer."

An explosion was visible on the other line. Exasperated questions followed next.

"Look, ever since I was put in a coma, I can't concentrate clearly. I'm sure that he would understand. Besides, my stepmother is young. She could give him a new heir to replace me."

Panic and confusion almost came out of his mobile at that pronouncement. Then there was the question of what he was planning.

"Tell them..."

He swallowed a little. Excitement gripped his heart. Just like the first time when he found himself marooned on an island that unknown to him. But what made his heart pound, was the declaration that he was about to make. For saying his name out loud—the name that he now must live by—along with what he planned to do would hammer the final nail on Urashima Keitaro's coffin.

"Tell them, that Sakata Kentaro wants to become an archaeologist."

*****

FIN

*****

____________________

**Author's Notes:**

Thus ends Mirrors: Shards of Existence.

It was quite a ride writing this piece. I know that some readers would be able to accept the ending, while other might become pissed off. But that's how things go. The ending with Keitaro becoming someone else was inspired by another fanfiction, Jihi's "A second chance at happiness". I won't spoil it, but let's just say that I borrowed the general idea and added my own twist.

Concerning the cameos, Kitami Reika is from Bible Black. Google and Wikipedia are your best friends if you want to find out more. Yuko mentioning on how time has moved on for her was due to the current happenings on xxxholic, that's the only spoiler I'll give.

Once again, I would like to thank all my readers, the reviewers, and the people who took time to put this story on their alerts and favorites. I'll be gone for a while, for my civil service exams. I'm not sure what I will write about next, perhaps it will be Love Hina fanfiction or something else. But that time around, I'll make sure I have something original.

Cheers!


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